An opinion article from The Diplomat explains, "We're still over six months away from Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States, but you wouldn't know it from the number of bilateral meetings being billed as in preparation for Xi's arrival. The latest, a meeting between U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi in New York City...Instead of touching on bilateral subjects, both governments directed attention to U.S.-China cooperation on global issues: the Ebola crisis, the North Korea nuclear issue, the P5+1 negotiations with Iran, and ensuring stability in Afghanistan. The emphasis on Afghanistan is especially interesting, as it marks a new area of cooperation between Washington and Beijing. The Diplomat has previously reported on the signs China is willing to take a more active role in mediating between Afghanistan and the Taliban, including bringing Pakistan to the negotiating table." 

"With his latest political exhortation, Chinese President Xi Jinping is asserting his influence and advancing his agenda in a time-honored tradition among Chinese leaders...The four priorities described in state media this week add to Xi's growing roster of political slogans since he took leadership of the Communist Party in 2012 that promote his aims of strengthening party rule, cracking down on corruption and building up China's international standing... The Four Comprehensives, mentioned by Xi in a speech late last year but trumpeted in state media on Wednesday and Thursday, are essentially a repackaging of goals and concepts laid out by Xi's predecessors. They comprise 'comprehensively' establishing a moderately prosperous society, deepening reform, ruling the nation by law, and strictly enforcing party discipline," writes The Washington Post. 

The Wall Street Journal reports, "China's coal consumption and production fell last year for the first time in 14 years as a slowing economy and cleaner energy policies help Beijing wean the world's largest energy consumer off coal dependence. Data released by the government Thursday show China is using more crude oil and natural gas...The decrease puts China at or nearer an inflection point known as 'peak coal'-the long-term decline in consumption of the mineral after decades of heavy use...Behind the change is a long-term effort by the government to move to cleaner-burning fuels that is getting a boost from a decelerating economy."