A November 1 article written by the Wall Street Journal has been the cause of some concern for those who follow US-China-Japan relations. While the US has maintained its position of “neutrality,” China is concerned about its own security as well as that of the region as Japan’s nationalistic leaders continue to pursue more active military and foreign policies.

The US rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific has unsettled relations with China, and distrust between the two countries has deepened since the United States started relocating its massive military assets to the region.

United States allies in the Asia-Pacific nervously await Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to China, Japan and South Korea in early December, as they look for indications the Obama administration will continue its pivot to Asia. However, as Benjamin Friedman of the Cato Institute points out, the pivot is more symbolic than substantive.

China’s rapid rise to power has caught the attention of the world. China’s new diplomatic strategy of extending “olive branches” has some states worried and others intrigued. Can a balance be found between China’s national interests, the US pivot to Asia and the interests of regional actors such as ASEAN or Japan?

Japan is making provocative statements on the issue of the Diaoyu Islands and questioning the Chinese position, writes Xue Junying.

Xi Jinping has launched a new era of periphery diplomacy and will make for better political and economic relations with neighboring countries, closer security cooperation and stronger people-to-people contact.

All eyes are on the Central Committee’s Third Plenum scheduled to open in Beijing on November 9 for details about China’s economic reforms. As attention focuses on domestic economic development, however, Chinese foreign policy also deserves notice.

As free trade agreements flourish around the globe, He Weiwen examines the developments between the China-ASEAN FTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership noting that while the US and China have been left out of each negotiation respectively, it does not mean the countries are competing directly against each other.

Washington has made it a point to handle arms sales to Taiwan as delicately as possible. However, following a recent visit by Senator James Inhofe and other developments, the Obama administration is finding it more challenging to walk the diplomatic tightrope.

The U.S. has relentlessly worked on improving its foreign policies in order to safeguard its global hegemony. Chen Jimin analyzes the framework of the Obama administration’s global strategy.