
An assessment of the degree to which Washington and Beijing are willing or able to implement crisis management principles like maintaining direct channels of communication and preserving military flexibility.

China's rapid economic and military expansion has redefined how many countries in the region view it, but all agree that the United States must maintain an active role in Asia to help maintain stability.

Despite Treasury Tim Geitner's recent comments that China is manipulating its currency, it is difficult to assess China's monetary policies because its economy is in such flux.

China's recently released economic data for 2008 reveal a mixed economic picture: although weakened trade, declining rural incomes, low prices, and high interest rates are cause for concern, strong growth in agriculture, investment, retail sales, and urban household incomes bodes well for a recovery in 2009.

The most common cause of corruption is a combination of discretionary power and low accountability, both of which are imperative for the political survival of authoritarian regimes.

China's 1990's state-owned enterprise reforms may give some indication as to how the CCP plans to handle current threats to domestic stability.
Since the new Taiwanese administration took office on May 20 last year, cross-strait relations have reached a hard-to-come-by point of historic opportunity. Taiwan can no longer treat the Mainland as simply a threat but should also regard a source of potential opportunity.

The U.S. and China have developed good relations over the past eight years, but mutual misunderstanding persists. President Obama should recognize the importance of cultivating personal ties with Chinese leaders and visiting East Asia soon after taking office and avoid aggressive public language on hot-button issues.

A more effective approach to staving off potential unrest in China's urban areas would be to increase investment, not in more hardware but in human capital. For jobless migrant laborers, the government should set up free continuing education programs.

Although there are numerous areas of shared interest between the U.S. and China, China's approach to international responsibility is likely to be à la carte. And in a international system where Washington can no longer set the rules, striking a deal with the Chinese will be more difficult.