Thirty years after the start of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the ties are growing, but remain mixed on virtually every front.
The two nations are partnering more than ever on battling global warming, but they still differ deeply over hard targets for reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions that cause it. China has supported sterner sanctions to halt North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, but it still balks at getting more aggressive about reining in Iran’s uranium enrichment.
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China is a huge and lucrative market for American goods and services, and yet it has a giant trade surplus with the United States that, like a raft of other economic issues, is a bone of contention between the two governments.
The two militaries have increased their contacts, but clashes still happen and the United States remains worried about a dramatic buildup in what is already the largest standing army in the world.
Amid all that, Obama has adopted a pragmatic approach that stresses the positive, sometimes earning him criticism that he is being too soft on Beijing, particularly in the area of human rights abuses and what the United States regards as an undervalued Chinese currency that disadvantages US products.
Obama recognizes that a rising China, as the world’s third-largest economy on the way to becoming the second and the largest foreign holder of US debt, has shifted the dynamic more toward one of equals.
For instance, Chinese questions about how Washington spending policies will affect the already soaring US deficit and the safety of Chinese investments now must be answered by Washington.
Second, Obama wants not to anger Beijing, but to encourage it to pair its growing economic and political clout with greater leadership in solving some of the most urgent global problems, including a sagging economy, warming planet, and the spread of dangerous weapons.
Obama has talked warmly toward China, particularly in the days leading up to his visit.
“The United States does not seek to contain China,’’ Obama said in a speech from Tokyo on Saturday. “On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations.’’
