China-US ties entering a more delicate period

The sixth State of the Union address of US President Barack Obama deepened the political divide in Washington, which now reflects the country's economic divide and which, in turn, will reflect across the US foreign policy, including US-China relations, in the coming years.

Intriguingly, Obama mentioned China explicitly barely three times in his speech: in the context of the US' trade in Asia, jobs in America, and the climate deal signed with Beijing in November.

While the new climate targets have further divided US Congress, Obama's "pivot to Asia" policy has polarized US-China relations in Asia. China sees the "pivot" as a containment policy by another name, and Obama's view is very different: "China wants to write the rules for the world's fastest-growing region. That would put our workers and businesses at a disadvantage ... We should write those rules."