President Donald Trump ’s first second-term visit to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off with a full day of discussions about how the two world superpowers will navigate an increasingly volatile global geopolitical landscape that has thrown trade and diplomatic relations into a state of upheaval.

In Xi’s estimation, the biggest question facing the United States and China amounts to whether they can “transcend the ‘Thucydides Trap’” to “pioneer a new paradigm for major-country relations.”

The Chinese leader was referring to a theory based in the writings of the Greek historian: That the growth and success of a rising power (in this case, China ) can appear threatening to an established ruling power (like the U.S.), setting two titans on a path toward war and destruction if such an outcome isn’t thoughtfully thwarted through diligent diplomacy.

Throughout the day, Xi emphasized his preference that the nations “should be partners rather than rivals.”

“Today, President Trump and I…