Since the end of the Cold War, new U.S. administrations have all introduced changes to U.S.-China relations after their inauguration. The Obama administration is no exception.

A distinctive feature of Obama's China policy is that unlike those of his predecessors, it can deal with U.S.-China relations free from burdens. Since China was not a hotly contested issue in the presidential election in 2008, Barack Obama did not have to deliver any "China commitments" to American voters as a newly elected president. In general, three factors tend to greatly affect the Obama administration's policy toward China.

First, the global financial crisis is taking a toll on the U.S. economy. In this context, the development of relations between the United States and China, the world's most important trade partners, is essential to Obama's endeavor to restore public confidence in both the U.S. economy and the world economy.

Second, Obama has vowed to bid farewell to former President George W. Bush's hard-line policy in favor of embracing "smart power" diplomacy. How to cooperate with China on a series of global and regional issues and persuade China to support America's policy on international cooperation is one of the factors crucial to the White House's efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, nuclear proliferation and extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Third, core figures on Obama's foreign policy team, including Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, are all in favor of a moderate policy toward China. They are expected to continue with the Clinton administration's "engagement policy" of the 1990s.

Given these factors, the Obama's China policy has exhibited a number of salient features since his inauguration 100 days ago.

First, the policy hopes to incorporate China into its efforts to bring change to America's diplomacy. It encourages China to cooperate with the United States on global and regional issues to expand the foundations for their common interests and make their bilateral relationship global. Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao pointed out at their first meeting on the sidelines of the London financial summit on April 1 that both countries are willing to make joint efforts to build a "positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship in the 21st century."

The Obama administration will continue to uphold the pragmatic policies Clinton and Bush adopted toward China and will not disguise the two countries' human rights disputes. However, respecting each other's core interests, strengthening dialogue and exchange and properly resolving disputes and sensitive issues will hopefully become basic points of consensus for both countries.

It seems that the Obama administration did not do well in its China policy at the very beginning. During his confirmation hearing, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner accused the Chinese Government of "manipulating" the renminbi's exchange rate, drawing strong criticism from China. Fortunately, the controversy soon calmed down when Obama and Hu discussed the issue in a telephone conversation. The maritime confrontation between China and the United States over the U.S. surveillance ship USS Impeccable once again created tension in the two countries' security relations. While the conflict highlighted the strategic complexities of China-U.S. relations, its quick settlement demonstrated the Chinese and U.S. governments' constructive attitude toward resolving disputes.

China and the United States have adjusted their dialogue mechanisms, becoming even more determined in pursuing regular, high-level dialogue and consultation. At their meeting in London, Obama accepted Hu's invitation to visit China in the second half of this year, the first year of his presidency. Clinton visited China on the last leg of her Asian tour, her first foreign tour as the U.S. secretary of state. The frequent dialogues between Chinese and U.S. presidents and top officials signal that the two countries' political relations will continue to improve.