Over June 7–8, 2013, U.S. president Barack Obama hosted Chinese president Xi Jinping for a summit at Sunnylands, the serene Annenberg estate in Rancho Mirage, California. The Xi-Obama summit, an informal, shirt-sleeve event that took place early on in the two leaders’ new administrations, was unprecedented in both its style and timing, and indeed was a rare occurrence in U.S.-China relations in the three decades since normalization. By shrugging off diplomatic formalities, the Xi-Obama summit demonstrated the maturity of the U.S.-China relationship.

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.

As China shifts its focus away from low-end labor-intensive manufacturing due to the rising production costs, it is inevitable for Chinese firms to relocate their operations to lesser-cost developing economy destinations, including Africa. Dr. Martyn Davies articulates how China-Africa relationship would change from attracting state capital to more private investment as a result of China’s economic reforms.

As Japanese Prime Minister Abe seems to have discarded his nationalist talking points in favor of a more populist platform, many wonder how China will be affected?

Although the US is firmly established in the region, many Pacific countries are concerned about US stability and consistency in policy. China’s recent confident actions have allowed for relations with ASEAN to grow and may have begun to act to supplant the US role. But do the two powers need to be competing or can they work in tandem?

In the wake of President Xi and Premier Li’s visits to Southeast Asia, China not only underscored its diplomatic commitment to the region but also elevated its partnerships with neighboring countries to more strategic ones. Zhai Kun examines in which ways the new Chinese leadership “upgraded” the China-ASEAN relations.

In the face of a widespread deterioration in China-Japan relations, Feng Zhaokui conceives of five tangible moves to improve the bilateral relationship.

President Barack Obama and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands before their bilateral meeting at the G-20 Summit on Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Cai Penghong reviews the achievements attained at the 2013 APEC Summit in Bali, and the 8th East Asia Summit and concludes that, despite President Obama’s absence, a number of noteworthy developments and deals have been put into place.

The joint statement signed at Tokyo Security Consultative Committee meeting earlier this month has not only influenced the dynamics of US-Japan relations but also functioned as a warning on recent provocations by China. Yang Wenjing articulates on the significances of the statement for the U.S., Japan and China.