Some US-China experts are calling for Hu and Obama to make a grand declaration laying out a set of principles to guide what is likely to be the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century.
But others say it will be regular contact over a variety of issues, rather than lofty statements, that will set the relationship’s tone and direction.
“This summit diplomacy obscures the fact that our relationship with China is a process and not an event,” says Mr. Freeman. “The challenge,” he adds, “is that while both sides recognize that a lot rides on our ability to find ways to work well together on a whole set of significant economic and strategic issues, it’s hard to find examples of ways in which we are already doing that.”
