Xi and Biden need to rebuild trust in front of a watching world

Every summit between the leaders of the two big world powers has had its own backstory, from the Cold War to the present day. What sets Wednesday’s meeting between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden apart is that it is happening at all right now.

A toxic political environment has poisoned bilateral relations. To make the summit happen the two leaders had to convince doubters at home and put aside vast differences that seemed irreconcilable at times.

It is no mean feat, and one that should reassure a world concerned by intensifying rivalry.