Reflecting on 40 years of U.S.-China relations. To commemorate four decades of U.S.-China ties, 40 influential scholars and policymakers were interviewed as part of a special series, including Jeffrey Bader (in English and Chinese), Kenneth Lieberthal (in English and Chinese), and David Dollar (in English and Chinese).

Trump has taken a tougher stance on China, but to what end? In comments to The New York Times, Cheng Li says that President Trump is correct in asserting that his approach to China distinguishes him from his predecessors. But his strategy of mixed signals ultimately makes him the “least effective” president in addressing the concerns he and his administration have raised about China.

On anniversary of "reform and opening up," Xi dashes hopes of an economic breakthrough. Western audiences looked to Xi Jinping's recent speech commemorating 40 years of the "reform and opening up" policy to signal a new era of economic liberalization. But, as Ryan Hass tells The New York Times, “If those messages were embedded in the speech, they appear to have been well concealed.”

U.S.-China trade ties are foundational to the broader relationship. In an interview with CBC News, Cheng Li says that if economic links between the United States and China collapse, the two countries may very well find themselves "heading toward a very dangerous, confrontational future."