Something shifted last week. 

After months of tense standoffs, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping had what both sides called a "productive" phone call on Friday. 

And for the first time in a while, it feels like the two biggest powers on Earth might be stepping back from the brink.

The call wasn't just talk. The two leaders agreed to meet in South Korea at the APEC summit in six weeks. 

That's big news when you consider how rocky things have been between Washington and Beijing.

But let's be honest about what this really means.

Part of this warming came from necessity. 

Trump needed Xi's help to finalize a deal that keeps TikTok running in the US. With millions of Americans using the app daily, letting it die would have been political suicide.

So Trump had reasons to play nice. And Xi knew it.

The Chinese president has been dealing with his own economic headaches at home. A trade war with America doesn't help when your economy is already struggling.

What's clear is that Trump himself is not in a position to impose new tariffs on China, according to experts watching the situation. 

The reality is that both countries need each other more than their tough talk suggests.

China controls key supply chains that the US’ companies depend on. America remains China's biggest customer for many products. Breaking that relationship hurts everyone.

This phone call might signal that both leaders finally get that.

The deep-rooted structural tensions in the U.S.-China relationship won't disappear because of one friendly phone call. 

The two countries still disagree on almost everything that matters.

Taiwan remains a flashpoint. Trade tensions haven't gone away. Both nations are still competing for influence around the world.

Think of this more like a temporary ceasefire than lasting peace.

So what's different now? Trump seems to have realized that his usual approach of threats and tariffs wasn't working. 

The two sides made progress on trade friction, suggesting both leaders are willing to compromise.

Xi, meanwhile, appears ready to make deals. China's economy needs stability more than it needs to prove points.

Both men also understand that their countries' problems are bigger than their personal rivalry. Climate change, global health crises, and economic instability affect everyone.

The planned meeting in South Korea will tell us more about whether this is real progress or just a political show. 

Both leaders have reasons to want good photos and positive headlines.

However, if they are successful in reaching deals on trade and technology cooperation, it might be a turning point in history.

The world has spent too much time watching the US and China escalation. 

Maybe now we'll see them act like the responsible superpowers they're supposed to be.

One phone call doesn't fix everything. But it's a start.

For months, experts worried that U.S.-China tensions were spiraling toward something much worse. Trade wars can become real wars if nobody steps back.

Trump and Xi seem to have realized that nobody wins when superpowers fight. Their economies are too connected. Their problems are too similar.

The temperature between the US and China might finally be dropping. They're both smart enough to know that cooperation beats conflict.

At least for now.

The real test comes in six weeks. That's when we'll know if this week's friendly words turn into actual progress.