IT IS probably the most important relationship of today’s world, and
even more of tomorrow’s. If the United States and China cannot
co-operate, what hope of stemming climate change and the spread of
nuclear weapons, or returning the global economy to a path of stable
growth? Over the past decade, the established superpower and the rising
one have rubbed along reasonably well; relations with China are, by
common consent, one of the few things George Bush junior got mostly
right. But under Barack Obama, after a cordial start, slights have been
building up for a while. The past week has produced a sharp reminder of
how sensitive the relationship can be—and how quickly it might spin out
of control.
