Clearly, the China portion of the trip is extremely important since cooperation between Washington and Beijing is increasingly essential to the resolution of major issues, ranging from climate change to Iran's nuclear ambitions, from the global financial crisis to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.

The Obama administration has tried to ensure a favorable environment for the talks in China. The president departed from tradition by not meeting the Dalai Lama when the Tibetan leader was in Washington last month. He has also refrained from announcing an arms sales package for Taiwan.

But it is unclear if such measures will ensure a successful outcome in Beijing, especially in terms of improving military-to-military relations, which reportedly will be an important focus of the...