CHINA US Focus - Perspectives shaping the world's most important bilateral relationship

In tropical waters off the coast of the Philippines, a standoff between half a dozen Chinese fishing boats, two Chinese law enforcement vessels and an aging Philippine Navy ship recently attracted a lot of attention in Washington, Beijing and other capitals across Asia.   Superficially, the squabble was over some rare corals, clams and poached [...]

Some of the world's major economies are faltering or shrinking, with Chinese factory output barely growing and powerful European manufacturing countries falling deeper into malaise, surveys showed on Friday.   In Britain, manufacturing activity shrank at its fastest pace in three years last month as the global economic slowdown hit demand for its goods.   [...]

Google Inc. has begun notifying Chinese users when they are using search terms that can trigger China's Internet blocks, in its boldest challenge in two years to Beijing's efforts to restrict online content.   The Internet search giant unveiled on its Chinese search site this week a new mechanism that identifies political and other sensitive [...]

A Chinese state security official has been arrested on suspicion of spying for the United States, sources said, a case both countries have kept quiet for several months as they strive to prevent a fresh crisis in relations.   The official, an aide to a vice minister in China's security ministry, was arrested and detained [...]

Average home prices in 100 key Chinese cities fell in May for the ninth straight month, a private sector survey showed on Friday, reinforcing the message that Beijing's campaign to curb property speculation remains locked in place.   The average price of 8,684 yuan ($1,376) per square meter in the 100 cities surveyed was 0.31 [...]