Biden’s China summit was a reminder: the US should talk to its rivals more often | Christopher S Chivvis

The White House has spent the last 10 months working to restore dialogue after years of mounting tension with China .

Biden deserves credit for pushing ahead with the summit despite a heated and often nationalistic US political context in which suspicion about China has been rising.

The US and China cannot afford a rancorous economic breakup, much less a war.

Some US interests can only be protected through military means, says Christopher Chivvis .

Washington should remember that even Reagan combined robust deterrence with dialogue in the service of broader national aims.

American leadership in the mid-21st century will require Washington to be the grownup in the room and use its power to take the initiative.