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For President Hu Jintao's state visit, a host of economic, political, and security issues top the agenda, including China's growth strategy, accusations of currency manipulation, territorial water rights, and North Korea.
Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming state visit will provide an opportunity for U.S.-China relations to move past a period of tension and develop forward momentum on key issues of mutual concern.
Chinese economic growth in 2011 will likely resemble that of 2010, while European debt struggles continue and the United States slowly readjusts. However, China's underlying structural imbalances will lead to a sharp slowdown in its growth in 2012 and beyond.
While China's economic resilience after the financial crisis has boosted its confidence, it has also led to a diplomatic assertiveness that ultimately weakens its strategic credibility in Asia.
While Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming state visit to the United States will provide an opportunity for progress in Sino-U.S. relations, efforts need to be taken to ensure that any positive momentum from the visit is maintained.
China's foreign policies created considerable tensions with several major powers in 2010. In the coming year, Beijing should adopt a more constrained and modest approach to repair its diplomatic relationships.
Tensions have eased slightly on the Korean Peninsula, but after years of playing international powers against each other to enhance its own position, Pyongyang may not be receptive to calls from the United States, China, and South Korea to return to six party talks.
Although China's growth next year is likely to remain high, expectations for China's average growth over the next decade are being revised downward.
China's economic prospects remain sound, but many observers point to the risk of an "unbalanced" growth process that has spurred investment and kept domestic consumption low.
Predictions of America's decline and China's triumphalism are premature, as the United States has shown resilience in recovering from past crises and China's peaceful rise is not guaranteed.