As international observers and foreign policy pundits geared up for Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House, hoping to see a tougher President Obama take on the Chinese leader on China’s actions in the South China Sea and other hot spots, most were somewhat unsurprised to discover that the first order of business was climate change. On September 24, President Obama and Xi Jinping announced their new commitments to combatting climate change, including a promise by China to cap CO2 emissions and put a price on carbon by 2017, a somewhat dubious commitment given China’s dependence on coal. Contradictions aside, it seems that any optimism that Obama would take the opportunity denounce Chinese military buildup and creeping influence in America’s strategic areas of interest, has been flushed down the toilet. Diplomatic games in the South China Sea The history of the South China Sea, and the background behind the current political and military grandstanding...(Read Full Article)