The Sino-American geopolitical rivalry is growing increasingly bitter, with Russia's war in Ukraine only the latest source of schism. The mutual antagonism is deepening, with little effort on either side to stem the deterioration in the bilateral relationship.

It doesn't have to be this way. To maintain global peace, and to address humanity's urgent collective challenges, the United States and China need to find discrete areas where they can pursue cooperation and reverse the rot in their relationship. Science and technology - particularly as they relate to climate change - offer the best prospects for renewed cooperation. To take advantage of such opportunities, however, both sides will first need to reassess fundamental assumptions and lower the temperature of their rhetoric.