The U.S. faces many serious downsides at it attempts to hold back the inevitable rise of the world’s second-most powerful economy. America should ask itself how long it can realistically expect to do so.

The seemingly stagnant review of U.S. official policy on trade with China has driven business leaders stateside to start issuing demands to the Biden administration for clarity and an end to the economic constraints of the trade war.

Though the Biden administration has promised that a comprehensive policy on trade with China would be produced, it is looking more and more like they intend to piece together Trump-era actions under their name.

Escalating conflicts are not a winning proposition for the U.S. and China, and signs from recent interactions between the two may indicate that leaders on both sides want to steer the relationship toward a more stable scenario.

The importance of China-U.S. relations goes far beyond the two countries. Their relationship influences no only their own people but also sets an example for others. They need to step up to the task.

Over several decades, the U.S. has emphasized crisis management with China, mostly for tactical reasons. Now, the Biden administration’s emphasis is clearly strategic. The U.S. wants to be in a position to constrain China’s policy options, while tilting the playing field toward its own interests.

Progress should not be in perception alone but should translate to real action. There is reason for optimism after three rounds of discussion — in Anchorage, Tianjin and Zurich — yet it appears the Biden administration is not yet ready to fundamentally change Donald Trump’s anti-China policy.

Dialogue is always better than confrontation. The Zurich talks may lead to a virtual presidential meeting and more frequent strategic discussion between the two countries to gradually change the negative narrative of competition. A solid foundation must be built one step at a time, and each opportunity seized.

As US President Joe Biden’s administration implements its strategy of great power competition with China, analysts seek historical metaphors to explain the deepening rivalry. But while many invoke the onset of the Cold War, a more worrisome historical metaphor is the start of World War I. In 1914, all the great powers expected a short third Balkan War. Instead, as the British historian Christopher Clark has shown, they sleepwalked into a conflagration that lasted four years, destroyed four empires, and killed millions.

One positive outcome is that the two presidents, Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, will hold a videoconference before the end of the year. But there have been a number of other good signs elsewhere as well. Bilateral ties have not continued deteriorating but are showing signs of a gradual thaw.