Realist international relations theorists usually would predict that the basic pressures of the international system will force the United States and China into conflict.

As China's economic might expands, Beijing not only wants a greater stake in international organizations but also to remake the rules of the game.

The Chinese and Indian economies often elicit breathless admiration from commentators. In fact, domestic deficiencies and regional tensions mean that the rise of China and India is hardly assured.

Although the wary are fretting about China's unprecedented financial might, Beijing's policies -- hoarding foreign currency reserves and sending money abroad -- have so far been better for other countries than for China itself.

Thanks to the country's favorable location on the map, China's influence is expanding on land and at sea, from Central Asia to the South China Sea and from the Russian Far East to the Indian Ocean.

As Taipei drifts further into Beijing's sphere of influence, the United States must decide whether to continue arming Taiwan as a bulwark against a rising China or step back to allow the Taiwanese people to determine their own future.

Recent violence in China's western provinces shows that the state's dual policy of migration and development has failed. A political solution for Xinjiang and Tibet, however, could be closer than Beijing may think.

A heightened bilateral relationship may not be possible for China and the United States, as the two countries have mismatched interests and values.

Driven by a near obsession with economic growth, Beijing has extended the state's reach into the economy.

Already the world's preeminent energy and trade interstate seaway, the Indian Ocean will matter even more as India and China enter into a dynamic great-power rivalry in these waters.

The prosperity of the United States and China depends on helping China further integrate into the global economic system.

The Bush legacy in Asia is positive and the next admistration can continue this trend by continuing multilateral engagement with Japan and China.

Beijing is shirking its responsibilities to the global economy. To encourage better behavior, Washington should offer to share global economic leadership.

Failure to plan for predictable problems has turned China's coming-out party into an embarrassment.

How new deals in the developing world will change the global economy.

How the WTO boosts economies and opens societies.

This Foreign Affairs article argues against U.S. policymakers pushing China to revalue its currency.

After 60 years of U.S. domination, the balance of power in Northeast Asia is shifting. The United States is in relative decline, China is on the rise, and Japan and South Korea are in flux. To maintain U.S. power in the region, Washington must identify the trends shaping this transition and embrace new tools and regimes that broaden the United States' power base.

China's environmental woes are mounting, and the country is fast becoming one of the leading polluters in the world. The situation continues to deteriorate because even when Beijing sets ambitious targets to protect the environment, local officials generally ignore them, preferring to concentrate on further advancing economic growth. Really improving the environment in China will require revolutionary bottom-up political and economic reforms.