As U.S. and China spiral toward strife, they give diplomatic peace a chance

Here's a rare point of agreement, a scarce source of mutual understanding between the world's two top superpowers: Things are very bad.

At least the United States and China can agree on that. Their relationship is on rough terrain, sliding toward an unspeakably ominous place.

The official state line in Beijing is that relations are at their lowest point in the half-century history of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and the People's Republic. Chinese ministers warn we're stumbling toward war.

President Xi Jinping just ordered China's military to put all of its effort into war preparations. U.S. lawmakers are gaming out war scenarios. You know you're getting to a bad place when the Pentagon press service puts out a headline like: War is "not inevitable."

So that's the context for the resumption of high-level diplomatic dialogue this week, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally making a long-delayed, two-day visit to China that ended Monday.

"He did a hell of a job," President Joe Biden said when asked about the trip. "We're on the right trail here."

Xi's response was vague but positive. In brief remarks, he alluded to the countries having made progress and reaching agreement on unspecific issues. "This is very good," he said.

The inevitable question now is whether this holds. Within 48 hours of the visit, reasons for doubt had already surfaced.

By mid-week, Biden had publicly referred to Xi as a dictator, the Chinese government complained, and news media in both countries were filled with stories about the countries' unresolved grievances: espionage, human rights abuses, and economic warfare.

Whether this attempt at détente has lasting power will ultimately hinge on whether there's progress on these substantive issues.

There's scant evidence that happened in Beijing. 

On one substantive issue, the U.S. says it asked repeatedly to establish a military-to-military line of communication — and was rebuffed.

On espionage, the Americans have essentially stopped complaining about the Chinese spy balloons which, leaked documents say, were more sophisticated than publicly reported.

Biden is now downplaying the dispute.