In May this year, Donald Trump flew to Beijing. This week, Xi Jinping returns the favour. The Chinese leader arrives in the United States on a state visit, with the two presidents set to meet on September 24. This is their second summit in under five months, and quite possibly not their last this year. But what exactly is happening between these two countries? Because on the one hand, Washington and Beijing seem to be finding ways to manage their differences. On the other, th

We are living through a moment of tremendous transformation. The post-Cold War order is over, and what replaces it is not yet clear. What is clear, however, is that the two countries with the most power to shape that answer are the United States and China. How they manage their competition—in fact, whether they can manage it at all—is a defining question of our era. That question was tested last year, as the two sides skirmished over trade and technology. It will be tested ag