In the shadow of mounting sanctions and export controls, Beijing has sent a senior diplomat to Washington not to negotiate, but to understand what negotiation is even possible. Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu's visit reflects an ancient strategic instinct: before committing to the table, know who sits across from it and what they truly want. The outcome of this quiet probing may determine whether the world's two great technological powers find a framework for coexistence — or accelerate their drift apart.