The recent publication of Visa’s International Financial Literacy Barometer has sparked interest in the United States’ mature financial sector and China’s still-developing financial markets. Noting the low ranking of China and Hong Kong, Michael Justin Lee explains that being financially literate will not only help Asia’s young finance sector boon, but will also improve the world’s future economic outlook.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica and Mexico and hold a meeting with US President Barack Obama at Sunnylands, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Estate in California. This will be a new important step in the full swing of Chinese diplomacy since the new leadership took office.

China’s growing defense budget seems to be a perpetual topic for speculation, interpretation, and allegations. Based on analysis from Xiao Tiefeng, China’s defense budget is neither growing excessively fast, nor is it extraordinarily large, nor is it a threatening factor to international peace.

After meeting with international affairs experts from Asia, Richard Weitz provides an in-depth look at how regional experts in the Asia-Pacific are reacting to the US pivot to Asia.

An earlier Xi-Obama summit, writes Qian Liwei, is expected to pave the way for a more positive, mature and predictable Sino-U.S. relations based on mutual respect, reciprocal benefit and win-win co-operation.

While tensions on the Korean Peninsula have slowly began to dissipate, Nathan Beuchamp-Mustafaga delves into the complex issue of how China uses North Korea as leverage in the U.S.-China relationship and provides policy responses for the United States.

The victory of Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) – Pakistan is likely to be more focused on economic development in the future, thanks to the transformative campaign of Imran Khan and his Tehrik-e-Insat (PTI) party. That, in turn, has substantial implications over U.S. and Chinese interests in South Asia.

The recently concluded (non)case of the government vs. Dr. Bo Jiang bore a striking resemblance to the scandalous Wen Ho Lee case that occurred in 1999 and strongly suggests that racial profiling and bigotry is still alive and well, at least in Virginia.

As the United States continues its rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific, Southeast Asian nations continue to rely upon US influence and military strength to counterbalance China. However, China’s regional power continues to grow and the economic incentives for aligning with China far outweigh those pushing nations toward the US.

The timing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visits to China is of great significance, sparking the interest of the international community, especially as hopes to renew the Middle East peace process emerge. As Li Shaoxian explains, success can only come through the cooperation of China and the US.