Barack Obama’s trip to China may encourage a warming of relations

MUTUAL suspicion and mutual attraction are powerful and competing forces in the relationship between China and America. President Barack Obama hopes his first visit to China, which began on Sunday November 15th, will enable the two countries to work more closely on global problems, from climate change to the economy. His hosts appear to agree, but misgivings are still abundant.

Mr Obama began his trip in Shanghai, China’s financial capital. Part of his mission was to reassure city leaders that America would be an enthusiastic participant in the World Expo which is due to be held there next year. The American government—as is its custom for such events—will not pay for a pavilion. Corporate sponsorship has been proving hard to drum up in these troubled economic times. To help the effort, America’s secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, who is travelling with Mr Obama, paid a visit to the half-built pavilion. The leader of America’s pavilion committee, Jose Villarreal, introduced her by saying she would “personally build the pavilion brick by brick if she had to”. …