Nuances of not-so delicate ties

Don't get me wrong. Abject kowtowing is no way to forge an honest and productive relationship with anyone, including China. The United States has differences with China - as does China with the US. Covering them up or ignoring them will allow them to fester. Relatively minor issues can become major when both sides act as if serious problems don't exist.

The Chinese are unhappy with the US because they view Americans as having raised the military stakes in the Pacific region, parts of which they regard as more or less their backyard. For its part, the US government is unhappy for a host of reasons, including first, human rights in China (so what's new?) and second, China's treatment of Tibet (or so Washington complains - although it's not going to do anything about Tibet and never will) and third, intellectual property protection (okay, this does need work) and fourth, obstruction of collective action on Syria (but Moscow took the lead in the veto).

Solving such difficult issues may take almost forever. Both sides have their positions and they are well staked out. Few are quickly or easily resolvable. Probably time will vitiate some of them, but perhaps intensify others. Only nationalistic partisans on either side can honestly believe that the other is wholly wrong and they are wholly right.