The U.S. state visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will be remembered not only because few foreign leaders have been privileged to address a joint session of Congress, but for the strengthening of the U.S.-Japan alliance. Neither Washington nor Tokyo should explicitly link a more robust U.S.-Japan relationship with deterrence against China’s rise.

The Asian African Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia opened on April 22nd carrying the “Bandung Spirit” of solidarity and common will to fight against colonialism, strive for national independence, safeguard world peace, and promote friendly relations among themselves – all of which challenge existing international relations norms and apply to the developing world today.

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has emerged as a key broker of perceptions between the U.S. and China. On behalf of the Belfer Center at Harvard, he has just completed a seminal report "U.S.-China 21: The Future of U.S.-China Relations Under Xi Jinping.

China’s growing involvement in Sri Lanka and South Asia, drew Prime Minister Narendha Modi to visit Sri Lanka, the first for an Indian PM in 27 years. India’s utmost concern is security with China’s so-called “string of pearls” strategy, which though coined by a U.S. defense contractor, suspects China of building naval bases in the Indian Ocean. To ease tension, the two countries must accommodate each other’s maritime interests.

While a temporary Iran nuclear nonproliferation deal was made on April 2nd, there are still a few months before an overall agreement on Iran’s nuclear capabilities must be reached. The proposals and opinions raised by China received the great attention from other parties in the talks, and suggested patience, and compromise.

U.S. opposition to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a misreading of global international relations trends and development, according to Wu Jianmian. The AIIB wont’ challenge the existing financial institutions, and through infrastructure development, create a new model of “win-win” cooperation. China says the door is still open for the U.S. to join.

Compared with the 2010 National Security Strategy, the tone of U.S. policy toward China policy expressed more strategic concern on territorial disputes, military modernization, democracy and human rights, and cyber-security. Obama also has lambasted China for not “following the rules,” and China-U.S. relations could enter into a new stage of regular competition to define international rules.

The West increasingly views China as a potential competitor, while Chinese decision-makers misinterpret U.S. “hedging” as “containment.” The dissolution of traditional U.S. global hegemony and increasing importance of the Asia-Pacific calls for new transnational cooperation. The U.S. and China must lead through a “new model of major-country relations” to respond to the increasing environmental, security, and economic challenges arising around the world.

Ramses Amer compares the diplomatic views and policies of the U.S. with those of China to shed light on the future their interaction. Wide differences exist in their justification for the use of force in inter-state relations; an unlikely but cooperative solution would be for the U.S. to conform more to the UN Charter and principle of non-interference, as China has.

President Xi Jinping will visit Washington D.C. in September, providing an essential opportunity for the two leaders to openly discuss bilateral relations, investment, and global issues. David Shambaugh calls on Chinese leaders to engage in action over slogans, and for each side to share their perceptions of the strategic intentions of the other; false perceptions must be discussed and refuted in order to reinvigorate mutual trust.