Perhaps America has underestimated China’s resolve, even as it blurs diplomatic and military lines. No one should underestimate the negative impact on peaceful reunification that further engagement between the U.S. and Taipei might have.

The virtual summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden began on a friendly note. But one can predict that the relationship between China and the United States may not go so smoothly in the future. There are likely to be storms and difficult struggles.

While no major agreements were made during the latest summit between Presidents Xi and Biden, the meeting represented a refreshing commitment to high-level engagement between China and the United States.

By having their first direct bilateral face-to-face summit meeting, Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping tried to build a floor under the tense and deteriorating U.S.-China relationship, as well as to erect some “guardrails” for managing the competitive relationship. Both sides reported it as a positive step forward.

Two presidents take a stand against a new cold war in a virtual summit. The old friends sought to renew relations and move forward — accepting competition but shunning conflict. How to achieve that is the big question.

That 10 months elapsed before a meeting was scheduled between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden — who had met frequently in the past — reflects the complexity of the bilateral relationship. But the recent virtual summit may have helped thaw the ice.

The virtual summit between presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden began on a friendly note. But one can predict that the relationship between China and the United States may not go so smoothly in the future. There are likely to be storms and difficult struggles.

This week’s much-anticipated meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden offers welcome relief for a world nervously watching where the 21st century’s most consequential relationship is headed.

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.