Any move by China to allow some yuan appreciation would be more a vindication of the Treasury's softly-softly approach than the gun-barrel diplomacy coming from elsewhere in Washington.

Last week, Russia delivered 15 additional batteries of S-300 surface-to-air missiles to China, making good on an about 2 billion dollar deal signed in the mid-2000s. Yet despite the publicity surrounding the sale, the Russian-Chinese arms transfer relationship is in trouble.

India has long been regarded as an American ally but a series of missteps by the United States may be driving a strategic American partner directly into China's embrace.

Geithner reckons that a series of meetings lined up between him and his Chinese counterparts over the next three months will be very "critical" to bring about the policy changes from China that may lead to a "more balanced", and sustainable global economy.

But the East Asian giant is not at this point to be regarded as a true enemy in the traditional sense, nor is it the "partner" of the United States that its friends and apologists claim it to be, says Stefan Halper, director of the Atlantic studies program at England's Cambridge University.

Some of India’s best-known artistes will travel to China and France this month for the “Festival of India in China” and “Namaste France” events respectively, organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).

On May 1, the modern-day equivalent, the World Expo, will open in Shanghai, China. Given China's rising international profile, the Shanghai Expo seems to be less about inventions and more about geopolitics.

This month, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy launched two new research projects relevant to public diplomacy efforts from and in China: the Shanghai Expo 2010 and Confucius Institutes.