Focus: China and the West - cooperation, competition and confrontation

When US President Barack Obama hosts his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao at the White House on January 19, their meeting will be overshadowed by a global shift in power. China's strength and influence have been growing at the expense of Western countries in a whole range of fields, from the economy to the military.

On the one hand, the West has benefited from China's rise, which has helped the world emerge from economic crisis. But many also feel threatened by China, and this has had an impact on how long-standing disputes between China and the West, on human rights as well as on currency issues, are evolving.