tHe sighed when the United States and China agreed to an unprecedented tariff blow to two of the world's most powerful countries. Although this decision is a major breakthrough in the trade war, both sides should take further steps to pursue the détente.

Fortunately, this may be on the card. That's because there are only two people - Donald Trump and Xi Jinping - that must be convinced. They all showed openness to the idea.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to meet with Xi Jinping and reached a broad agreement before his presidency. But the tariffs in April 2025 caused a bilateral deadlock. The 90-day truce announced on Monday changed that change, and Trump then proposed that a direct call with XI could be imminent, which puts a broader settlement on the agenda.

If they speak, Xi may find Trump a more attractive negotiating partner than Joe Biden. The previous presidents were highly ideological and competitive in their attitude towards China, emphasizing democracy and authoritarian politics and trying to align the country with China, while Beijing rarely provided incentives for cooperation.

But unlike Biden Team, which focuses on managing tensions in the technology sector, Trump appears to share China's preference for fundamental issues in negotiations. Regarding controversial issues such as Tiktok's status in the United States, Trump has reversed political orthodoxy and delayed the ban to convince China to allow its sales.

The leaders duo may conclude that moving towards détente could allow them to better address their shared concerns about domestic economy, growing debt and social stability. In short, Trump and Xi may prefer to build a country at home rather than escalate expensive and dangerous competition. But if the two leaders wait too long, the competition will gain momentum as the Hawks on both sides continue to push for a new Cold War and prepare for a possible armed showdown.

In order for the reset to begin, both of them must be convinced that a deal can be reached quickly. They need to speak directly, while also enabling the consultant to make specific and actionable suggestions. Ideally, the phone will lead to a face-to-face summit. The process is not easy, but if Trump is ready, he can make history.

Both sides should seek to resolve the most serious points of tensions. Trump can begin planning new trade deals while also trying to undermine emerging competition for nuclear weapons. Finding one thing in common can help the other.

China has quickly expanded its nuclear arsenal to more than 600 warheads, and if the U.S. intelligence assessment is correct, it is on the road to matching the arsenals deployed by the U.S. and Russia. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to negotiate nuclear cuts, but Beijing has rejected the huge gap between its nuclear arsenal and Washington's nuclear weapons. So how could this dynamic change happen?

There is reason to believe that China can still accept weapons control. US- An important step in China's nuclear diplomacy may be the shared claim that nuclear weapons are only used to prevent nuclear attacks. This will address China's main concerns, as some in Washington advocate the first use of nuclear weapons against Chinese military forces in the Taiwan conflict. However, Trump's boldest and most keen diplomatic move may be to lure China into the "meeting midway": coordinating the triangular cap between China, Russia and the United States, with 1,000 warheads per warhead, avoiding an unprecedented three-way nuclear weapons competition.

It would be a huge shift, but Trump showed a willingness to junk political orthodoxy as he decided to lift sanctions on Syria and meet with Ahmed El-Sharaa this week.

The Taiwan issue has also matured and can be compromised and will strongly enhance the détente between the United States and China. Trump may be the right leader to fake compromises. Mutual accommodation may involve Washington's closer adherence to its "one Chinese policy" and dismissing U.S. troops serving as military advisers on Taiwan's outer islands. In return, Beijing could ease nearby troops deployment and slow down the pace of military exercises around Taiwan.

Reducing the temperature in Taiwan will have a positive impact elsewhere. If Washington takes a more cautious approach to building military power in the archipelago, frictions in China and the Philippines may fade, a buildup related to the Taiwan conflict scenario. A broader agreement in the South China Sea could cover joint resource development and mutual restrictions for military deployment.