Obama's cautious and calibrated approach to an assertive China

Washington

As heads of state and delegations from more than 50 nations gathered in Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit, there were only two bilateral meetings on the sidelines, and one was between US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Their meeting not only underlines the centrality of Sino-American relations, but also its urgency as tension builds in the South China Sea and President Obama prepares to leave the White House. With barely eight months left to his presidency, it is a good moment to assess his historical legacy.