A string of achievements in his second term, even after a disastrous 2014 mid-term election, means the incumbent can be ranked among the nation’s high-achieving presidents, despite the fact that his efforts did little to change America’s outdated perspective on its place in world affairs.

Philip J. Cunningham examines the precarious nature of mass tourism. Both the cause, rooted in China’s steadily growing middle class and the effect, a surplus of tourists to Thailand. Cunningham measures the limited economic benefit, only grasped by those in a small circle of tourist service positions, against the edifying effect of world travel for the once working class.

Liu Mingfu’s 2010 book China Dream initially sparked a bidding war, only to be marginalized for fear that it would affect China-U.S. relations. From disrepute it became canonical after Xi Jinping delivered his 2012 “China Dream” speech. Sifting out rocks of Chinese exceptionalism, Jared McKinney explores the gems of insight found in Liu’s condemned and congratulated work.

As long as both Beijing and Taipei accept the historical truth of the “1992 consensus”, and identify with its core implications, the Chinese president pointed out, they will share a common political foundation for maintaining benign interaction.

China-related messaging from both parties has been scattered, providing limited examples and talking points for economic and foreign policy discussions and rarely ever drawing connections to Chinese American voters. Republicans will continue to lose the Asian American vote if they don’t reshape their stances on immigration, trade policy and defense. Democrats can expect to keep the Asian American vote in general elections, but candidates for internal races will perform better if they court Asian Americans for the party coalition.

The unspoken trade-off between the Chinese rulers and the ruled seems to be: If our lives improve, then you can remain in power. So far, the Chinese Communist Party has been adept at reading the tealeaves and adapting to the times, and will need to gradually change further as the economy slows down.

The campaign roils with entertaining tactics and distractions as voters shrug off elite candidates and embrace mavericks. There is no perfect presidential candidate or perfect president, and after weighing their advantages and disadvantages, the less disadvantaged should be chosen.

Xi Jinping is a big fan of soccer, and is driving momentum to bring China to the World Cup by overhauling the state ministries comprehensively laying the groundwork for a plan to promote soccer at a young age.

Unlike security-related issue areas, the dynamic of U.S.-China health cooperation is largely insulated from the fluctuations of domestic politics and strategic foundations. Effective bilateral cooperation is under way in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, in food and drugs safety, and in addressing international public health emergencies.

The Chinese premier’s frankness in his report embodied not only decision-makers’ policy orientations, but also a profound people-first mentality that will be of far-reaching significance.