It is no secret that China and the United States have divergent world outlooks. Or that the essential differences between their world views underlie the increasingly fractious relations between Beijing and Washington.

What has happened lately in China-US relations, in particular the growing number of provocative legislative moves by US Congress, former US House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit last year, the so-called spy balloon incident in February, and present House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's hosting of a meeting of US lawmakers with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen last month, has certainly been damaging to constructive bilateral engagement.

That is why after the US transformed the wayward Chinese research balloon into explosive entertainment worthy of Marvel Studios, nixing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's planned visit to China, there had been no high-level meeting between the two sides till that between Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and US Ambassador to China Nicolas Burns on Monday.

The meeting showed that at least Beijing and Washington remain rational enough to try and prevent the world's most consequential bilateral relationship from careering into a collision.

The meeting conveyed the consoling message that, for all the divergences that have been obvious over the recent past and the tacit consensus bilateral ties have truly deteriorated past the point where they could return to their previous state, Beijing and Washington share the understanding that crisis management is not only in both parties' best interest but a shared obligation as responsible powers.

Given the negative developments in China-US relations over the past four years or more, neither Beijing nor Washington entertains the fantasy of returning to what now seem like the good old days. After all, mutual trust has dropped to a historical low. But what the two sides are trying to do is of critical importance, since unless a careful eye is kept on the frictions between them, there is the real danger they could spark confrontation, a worst-case scenario unaffordable to either party, and indeed everybody.

Qin was correct in pointing out that "the top priority is to stabilize Sino-US relations, avoid a downward spiral, and prevent accidents between China and the United States". Avoiding the worst in bilateral ties is indeed the bottom line for the time being.

However, the conspicuous cognitive gaps between Beijing and Washington, which are the foremost factor undermining mutual trust, mean there is no easy solution to the conundrum. Qin has expressed Beijing's wish that "the US will reflect deeply, meet China halfway, and push China-US relations out of the predicament and back on track".

Various efforts are underway to carry out repair work. It is to be hoped that at the very least they can keep the channels for meaningful communication open.