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 Joe Biden’s diplomatic breakthrough with China may prove to be one of the pivotal moments of his presidency. 

He achieved agreements on fentanyl, AI, military-to-military communication and a personal channel with China’s leader Xi Jinping, among other things.

But at his press conference to celebrate it, most of the questions were about the war in Gaza. Understandably.

Over the long term, however, the China deal was primary. The sheer dominance of the two countries on the global economy is breath-taking.

As measured by national GDP, the U.S. economy is roughly $27 trillion; China’s not quite $18 trillion. No other national economy is larger than $4.5 trillion.

But at two-thirds the size of the U.S., China has been slipping backward, partly due to the disruptions of Covid-19 and global supply chains. Not long ago its economy was three-quarters the size of the U.S. and it is increasingly desperate to reverse this trend.

Thus, Biden picked the right moment, from a U.S. perspective, to get a deal made. And the global economy will be better off for it.

I know it is second fiddle in the news cycle for most, but unlike the war in Gaza, this one should prove to be a big “W” for Biden. Even if he did slip up and answer on off-mic question, “Is Xi a dictator?” with a “Yes.”

HEADLINES:

• UN security council vote on ‘humanitarian pause’; France expresses ‘serious concern’ over al-Shifa operation (Guardian)

• UN Security Council adopts resolution calling for urgent humanitarian pauses and corridors in Gaza (AP)

• Hamas agrees to tentative deal to free dozens of hostages, pending Israel’s approval (WP)

• US Capitol police clash with protesters demanding ceasefire in Gaza (Guardian)

• Lessons from a surge of antisemitism in France (Economist)

• The One-State Delusion (Atlantic)

• Can the US have an honest debate about Palestine and Israel? (Al Jazeera)

• Inside the Desperate Effort to Evacuate Young Cancer Patients From Gaza (NYT)

• Biden, Xi meet amid disputes over military and economic issues (Reuters)

• China’s state media take a new tone toward the US ahead of meeting between their leaders (AP)

• U.S. Manages Expectations of a Breakthrough as Biden and Xi Meet (NYT)

• Video shows the moment Antony Blinken winces after Biden calls China's Xi a dictator, upending months of careful diplomacy (Insider)

• Biden risks falling into Xi’s trap (WP)

• China’s Xi tells Biden as talks open: ‘Planet Earth is big enough for the two countries to succeed’ (AP)

• Tim Cook, Elon Musk, Steve Schwarzman spotted at Xi Jinping dinner with U.S. CEOs (CNBC)

• Why Joe Manchin Is Going To Force Biden Out Of 2024 Race (Forbes)

• Disney’s counter-offensive takes shape (Politico)

• Donald Trump’s lawyers focus on outside accountants who prepared his financial statements (AP)

• Everything wrong with the Supreme Court’s new code of conduct (WP)

• The Government Is Now the Hottest Tech Employer in Town (Wired)

• Court rules UK plan to send migrants to Rwanda unlawful (Al Jazeera)

• Behind CNN Turmoil, a Series of Shattered Friendships (NYT)

• NBA suspends Warriors' Draymond Green 5 games for 'dangerous' headlock on Rudy Gobert (USA Today)

• AI outperforms conventional weather forecasting for the first time: Google study (ArsTechnica)

• 4 science-backed reasons AI is better at predicting your potential in a job (FastCompany)

• OpenAI forced to temporarily ban ChatGPT Plus sign-ups amid AGI superintelligence hopes (Windows Central)

• Report: The Moon, It’s Getting Closer! (The Onion)