At present, China and the United States are engaged in a confrontation that could be more extensive and fierce than any other international rivalry in modern history. Over the past 10 years, the United States and Western countries have become more confrontational towards China. This trend reached its peak during the Trump presidency and was continued under J. Biden. According to the author, since the collapse of the USSR, the United States has been striving to establish its dominance in the world and maintain a “unipolar world”. Under D. Trump, the China and Russia were declared the main competitors of the United States, while the Biden administration says that China poses an unprecedented challenge for the United States in several areas at once. One of the features of the new administration's policy is the strengthening the US alliances. Moreover, the United States is actively involved in a technological and ideological confrontation with the PRC. As the author notes, the main principles of China in international relations are conflict avoidance, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. According to the author, in the course of the fight against the pandemic, China has demonstrated the effectiveness of its political and economic system. The article also suggests ways to strengthen Sino-American relations: respect for international law; resolving disputes through dialogue, improving international norms and introducing new ones; strengthening risk management mechanisms between the two countries.