Dr. Bates Gillis an American expert on Chinese foreign policy and a former Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute... (wikipedia)
Given China's record as a launching pad for other infectious diseases, transparency remains a big concern.
If the Chinese goof around and hold on to them, there could be a real firestorm tomorrow. But both sides will try to play it down.
These events provide ample justification to those in China who want to see a slowing or even bringing an end to a better relationship with the United States.
They've begun to sense the volatility of the (trade) issue.
It seems the Chinese would like to proceed and get back to business as usual with the United States in the wake of all the difficulties the relationship had in the past months. And human rights, of course, is a traditional bone of contention.
It's becoming more focused, more modern, better trained, better equipped than it has ever been across the Taiwan Strait,
The Chinese view of the United States is quite suspicious, ... They are not certain of what our strategic intention of them may be and any act that appears to be bullying -- in their terms, hegemonic, unilateralist -- is bound to stir up passions on their nationalist part of the public.
I'm worried that this could end up being the legacy of the trip. Whether it is perceived as a simple mistake or an intentional slight, it will underscore a pervasive sense of distrust.
The lobbying seems consistent to me, ... In other words, as the U.S.-China relationship has become more complex, it's normal that our counterparts in China will seek advice. And Americans do the same thing. In Beijing, consulting is a big business.