India, Aug. 2 -- By any measure, the U.S.-China relationship is a high-wire act- fraught with strategic rivalry, economic entanglement, and ideological divergence. Yet when it comes to presidential diplomacy, both Donald Trump and Joe Biden have shown a strikingly similar instinct: play nice with Xi Jinping when the stakes demand it. The choreography may differ, but the dance is the same.

President Trump recently confirmed that Xi Jinping has invited him to China, and he's likely to accept "in the not-too-distant future". The timing is no accident. With trade negotiations intensifying and a looming August 12 deadline for a new tariff agreement, Trump is softening his rhetoric, emphasizing a "very good relationship" with Xi. He's even sug...