At the heart of China’s request for a new type of big power relationship with the US is a demand for greater symmetry in bilateral negotiations, writes Pang Zhongying. Only a roughly symmetrical relationship can be stable.

Are we one of the blind men when we try to explain China? We see only part of it but claim that to be the truth about China. The field of China studies needs revisions to meet challenges to understanding such a large and fast-changing country, especially in the following three aspects: reliance on trans-Atlantic thought to analyze China; failure to update with changes; and lack of integration.

With a new type of bilateral relationship, China and the US should achieve trust in politics, economic complementarity, cultural exchange, military interaction and diplomatic consultation, writes Yu Sui.

The Xi-Obama Sunnylands summit came at a crucial time in the bilateral relationship. The weekend meeting, which featured a variety of discussions including a new great-power relationship and increasing mutual trust, was seen as a step in the right direction for Sino-US relations.

Existing problems in the Sino-US relationship should not be considered as barriers for building a new type of Sino-U.S. relations, but should be taken as the driving power, says Chen Jimin.

The rapidly developing Chinese space program contains several misconceptions including China is looking to extend military power, China is weaponizing space and that Chinese space activity is a threat to the US. As Zhao Weibin explains, China, has only peaceful space goals.

Latin America has reemerged as one of the most significant regions in global affairs, as nearly simultaneous visits by US and Chinese leaders have proven. Niu Haibin explains that as the region becomes a common foreign policy priority, cooperation and a clear understanding of each country’s interests will allow for renewed development and a positive future.

The Xi-Obama Summit at Sunnylands provided an opportunity for the leaders of two global powers to confront challenges facing their nations. While many hope for an optimistic relationship moving forward, Chen Xiangyang encourages a sober approach as the long-term relationship develops.

Income disparity in China is among one of the many issues that could have been addressed at Sunnylands. However, as Michael Justin Lee points out, symbolism overshadowed substance at the first meeting of Presidents Xi and Obama.

The Xi-Obama summit in early June was a unique experience for the two leaders to discuss a wide range of important topics. However, due to a variety of domestic and structural issues, the topic of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was hardly touched upon.