News stories by Analysis by Antoaneta Bezlova

The jury is still out on what Beijing and Washington achieved during President Barack Obama’s first state visit to China last week. But one trait has emerged more strongly than anything else.

The summer capital of China’s political intrigue is taking a break from the years of intense infighting and maneuvering that Chinese communist leaders used to engage in while hidden in their secluded villas.

Preoccupied with ethnic tensions in the vulnerable areas of Tibet and Xinjiang, Beijing was caught off guard by Burmese military regime’s decision in early August to use force against armed rebel ethnic groups in the country’s north, which resulted into military strife that forced thousands of refugees to flee into China.

Chinese and United States leaders have hailed the 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries as one of the most defining bilateral ties of the 20th century, but Beijing and Washington are celebrating the anniversary in subdued mood.