A month after the U.S. and Chinese presidents held an unconventional summit at a California resort, their top officials convene in more staid surroundings in Washington on Wednesday. They will hash over a slew of security and economic issues that reflect growing ties but also deep-seated differences.
The annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue takes place in less fraught circumstances than last year's in Beijing, which was overshadowed by the escape of dissident lawyer Chen Guangcheng from house arrest to the U.S. Embassy.
But there's still plenty to argue about. Over two days, Cabinet-level officials will discuss cyber-theft, North Korea's nuclear program and barriers to U.S. trade and investment in China.
Secretary of State John Kerry is due to attend after returning from his wife's hospital bedside in Boston.