![Tensions in the US-China relationship may be easing amid a firmer commitment to the rules based order.](https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/us-vs-china-tensions-relationship-xi-biden-rules-based-order-07072023-1.jpg?w=519&h=259&crop=1)
The U.S.-China rivalry will shape the course of international politics in the 21st century. Hence, any insights that can be gleaned on the state of bilateral relations from the meeting two weeks ago between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Xi Jinping are worth evaluating. And the insights to be gleaned are encouraging.