In their Editorial “Rewiring science diplomacy” (21 August, 10.1126/science.aeb4815), V. C. Turekian and P. Gluckman offer a timely framework for rethinking science diplomacy in an era of renewed geopolitical competition. However, describing earlier efforts as merely “aspirational” risks underestimating their strategic value, and overemphasizing transactionalism could undermine the foundations of international cooperation.