U.S.-China rivalry stays intact even as leaders emphasize stability

Washington and Beijing continue to signal that they want to manage their rivalry without allowing every disagreement to become a crisis. That does not mean the underlying competition has disappeared. Technology controls, trade policy, security and influence remain central fault lines.

The real measure of stability will be what happens after high-level meetings: whether working-level talks prevent new escalation and whether either government changes policy on the issues that matter most.