U.S.-China Relations: Asian Perspectives

Many say that the United States-China relationship is the most important in the world.  While others may dispute this, few if any would question the assertion that the relationship is the predominant factor in Asian power interactions. In the first instance, Beijing and Washington must pay close attention to how their dealings with each other will affect other countries of the region.  That is, Beijing must calculate how its dealings with Washington will affect its links with Tokyo, New Delhi, Moscow, etc.  And vice-versa.  Moreover, to look at the same landscape from another angle, all Asian capitals keep a very close eye on bilateral dealings between these two giants, in particular to see how they will affect their own relations with them. This latter set of issues was the focus of a conference in September, 2010, organized by the Kissinger Institute and co-sponsored by the Wilson Center’s Asia Program and Kennan Institute.