The fact that Barack Obama chose Israel as the destination of his first foreign visit during his second term in White House illustrates how important the Middle East is in the United States' global strategy, although Washington had, before the March 20-23 visit, ruled out any new plan for settling the Middle East issue.

As Secretary of State John Kerry prepares to head to Beijing for high-level bilateral discussions, Shen Dingli outlines the top strategic priorities for China and the US. While the visit is expected to address major security issues, could Kerry’s pragmatism be misinterpreted for greater cooperation?

North Korea’s third nuclear test has dealt a death blow to any remaining illusions that Pyongyang can be persuaded to give up its fledgling nuclear weapons capability. J. Stapleton Roy writes that both Beijing and Washington need to rethink their policies in the face of this reality.

As tensions between China and the US continue to mount over cybersecurity concerns, Lu Jinghua urges both nations to come together and cooperate in cyberspace to avoid a catastrophic miscalculation.

As cyber attacks on the United States continue, so does the Obama administration’s intensification of cybersecurity measures. While the U.S. attempts to frame China as the scapegoat, Xu Longdi argues that progress cannot be made without the U.S. changing the way it engages China on cybersecurity and strengthening Sino-U.S. cyber relations.

North Korea’s satellite launch and subsequent nuclear test has greatly increased concerns that conflict could quickly spread across the Korean peninsula. Ted Galen Carpenter writes that without meaningful concessions by the United States, China will continue to give Kim Jong-un a free pass and limit the enforcement of UN sanctions.

Fire-control radar row is Tokyo's attempt to get more overt outside support and push for constitutional change.

Reflecting on lessons from Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," Tom Watkins urges the US leadership to find a balance between military spending and domestic priorities lest history repeat itself.

Last week marked the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War, and analysts continued to debate the impact of the US-led invasion. Tao Wenzhao explains that the United States still has lessons to learn from its controversial decision to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein.

As US and NATO forces prepare to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, Washington must carefully examine the strategic power vacuum that will be left in its void. Given China’s increasing influence in Central Asia, US policy makers must be cognizant of its recommendations for managing the region and enlist China’s assistance to implement them.