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As both a lawyer and the first African American to be elected president, Obama considered civil society and human rights issues to be particularly important and naturally dealt with China with these interests in mind. In contrast to many of his recent predecessors who had visited China before becoming president, Obama had never been in China prior to that trip. In fact, President Obama’s 2009 visit was his first personal experience in China. At the time of his inauguration, Obama’s knowledge of China was relatively limited. Obama did not have much contact with China-neither as a law professor at the University of Chicago, as an Illinois state senator, nor as a U.S. Even amidst a recession, he assigned great importance and high expectations to the U.S.-China relationship despite his limited previous exposure to China. president to visit China during the first year in office. Upon arriving in Beijing in November 2009, Obama became the first U.S. To understand this trajectory, we must incorporate into our analysis the president’s personal background, the domestic backdrop of the two countries, changes in the global and regional economic-political landscape, and other relevant factors. side President Obama has firmly guided the overall direction of U.S.-China relations throughout his two terms in office. Unsurprisingly, the current relationship reflects varying degrees of cooperation as well as competition. As Obama himself has said, “The relationship between the United States and China is the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century.” Forty-four years after establishing diplomatic relations, the world’s two greatest economic powers have forged unprecedentedly close ties. We must therefore measure the outcomes of U.S.-China relations during this period, drawing whatever lessons we can-even though it may be too early to judge.įrom the time President Obama assumed office in 2009 to the present, positive U.S.-China relations have been vital to the two countries and to the world at large. President Barack Obama approaches the end of his tenure, we stand at an inflection point. When Zhou Enlai, who served as China’s premier from 1949 to 1976, was asked for his opinion of the 1789 French Revolution, he demurred: “It’s too early to say.” To analyze history as it unfolds presents an even riskier and more challenging proposition. In weighing the state of U.S.-China relations, I am reminded of a well-known story.