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.

The China-US relationship is the most critical in today’s world. With the continued focus on the US pivot to Asia, many question the stability of the relationship as well as the goals of the two parties. While the US and China have differences, they should not view each other as threats, but rather seek to promote and develop their relationship.

Disputes over territorial sovereignty are among the thorniest of all diplomatic disagreements. While the sovereignty disputes in the South and East China Seas involve seemingly non-negotiable claims, the resources surrounding the islands can nevertheless be shared, nurturing habits of closer regional cooperation in the process.

While the U.S. pivot to Asia’s impact on Sino-U.S. relations receives widespread attention, a significant risk to bilateral relations can be seen through China’s interventions in Latin America. As Fernando Menéndez explains, China is creating a counterbalance to U.S. actions in the Asia-Pacific by heavily investing in countries like Brazil and Venezuela.

After meeting with international affairs experts from Asia, Richard Weitz provides an in-depth look at how regional experts in the Asia-Pacific are reacting to the US pivot to Asia.

Containment is not the appropriate word to describe US policy towards China, writes Su Xiaohui. The US will probably define China as a major competitor in the world, not necessarily a major enemy.

Why are Chinese leaders so paranoid about the United States? Ely Ratner attempts to answer this question and explains how the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army and changes to China’s national security environment will impact future relations with the US.

With the departure of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, the future of the United States' "pivot" to Asia has been called into question. While initial perceptions of Secretary Kerry’s priorities led some to worry that a policy shift might ensue, Dr. Ely Ratner argues that the Obama Administration remains deeply committed to the Asia rebalancing.

In the kaleidoscopic world of power politics in Asia, Franz-Stefan Gady argues that the US pivot to Asia may yield the unintentional consequences of fostering closer strategic ties between China and India.

Energy has long been both the bane and the favored instrument in the foreign policy of governments. Yet, for the US, fortunes are changing and the goal of former President Nixon’s Project Independence looks soon to be realized.