After a harmonious beginning, the two governments are at odds over planned U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, American overtures to Tibet, and, now, the issue of Internet freedom that has been vividly raised by China's treatment of Google.
After Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton complained in Cold War terms on Thursday about China's Internet intrusions, Chinese officials shot back Friday that her remarks were "harmful to Sino American relations," and demanded that U.S. officials "respect the truth."
The exchange set off a diplomatic shuffle. Top U.S. and Chinese officials have huddled in a series of hastily convened meetings in Washington since Clinton's speech to discuss the Google issue and "the broader aspects of our relationship," Philip J. Crowley, the chief State Department spokesman, said Friday.
Some experts believe that Clinton may have been too provocative when, in Churchillian tones, she lamented that "a new information curtain is descending over much of the world." But her remarks highlighted the Obama administration's hardening approach.
"We're in for tough sledding for the rest of the year," predicted David M. Lampton, director of China studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
While both countries want a stable relationship, diplomats and analysts worry that the expanding array of disputes could damage chances of Chinese cooperation on key U.S. strategic issues, such as sanctions against Iran, North Korea's nuclear program, and the international effort in Afghanistan.
Analysts said the new frictions could affect cooperation between the two nations' militaries, an initiative announced by Obama in a visit to China last November. They also could prompt the Chinese to rethink plans to take part in high-level meetings, such as Obama's nuclear security conference this spring.
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