Brent Scowcroft Center Resident Senior Fellow Robert A. Manning writes for Global Times on how the US-China relationship will be defined by the 2016 US presidential election, increased cooperation on climate change, and progress on the Bilateral Investment Treaty:
Buoyed by the September US-China summit, a cyber accord, and China’s pivotal role in reaching an agreement at the Paris climate talks, US-China relations approach 2016 with a bit of momentum, but there is still an arduous path ahead.
Both sides seek a “steady as she goes” holding pattern for the remaining year of US President Barack Obama’s tenure. But a host of thorny economic and geopolitical issues will be difficult for both Washington and Beijing to navigate.