Web censorship and alleged hacking by China, as underscored by Google's recent complaint, have further soured relations between the nations.

Reporting from Washington and Beijing - The U.S.-Chinese relationship, already being tested by rising trade tension during President Obama's first year, has been rocked by new turbulence as the administration has sought to prove its commitment to human rights around the world.

The two governments are at odds over planned U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, American overtures to Tibetan exiles and, now, the issue of Internet freedom that has been vividly raised by allegations against China from Google.

After Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton complained Thursday in Cold War terms 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, 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, in a major prepared address, highlighted the Obama administration's hardening approach.

The U.S. tack comes as Beijing is being increasingly resistant to foreign pressure. In addition to its stern posture on Tibet and Taiwan, China has rebuffed calls to revalue its currency and support a global climate change treaty.

"We're in for tough sledding for the rest of the year," predicted David M. Lampton, director of China studies at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies.

Diplomats and analysts worry that the expanding array of disputes could damage chances of Chinese cooperation on key U.S. strategic issues, such as North Korea's nuclear program, sanctions against Iran and the international effort in Afghanistan.

Analysts said the new frictions could affect cooperation between the two nations' militaries, an initiative announced in November by President Obama during a visit to China. They also could prompt the Chinese to rethink plans to take part in high-level meetings, such as Obama's planned nuclear security conference this spring.

Last year, Obama administration officials, eager to begin their relationship with China on a positive note, focused on areas of mutual interest while putting off tougher issues. But the relationship took a turn for the worse, in the Chinese view, after the U.S. imposed duties on Chinese tires and steel pipes. Sensitive issues, such as the U.S. relationship with Taiwan and Tibet, continued to stack up.




By Paul Richter and David Pierson, Los Angeles Times, January 23, 2010