Google's perfect storm likely to cause turbulent US-China relations in 2010

Google "perfect storm" in 2010 and it is looking increasingly likely that US-China relations will pop up as a top search result.

Even before the US Internet giant's troubles with Chinese hacking and censorship came to a head this week with Google's threat to leave the Chinese market, some long-standing political and economic disputes loomed over bilateral ties.

"This is going to be a really ugly, turbulent year with China," said Dean Cheng, a China analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington think tank.

President Barack Obama enjoyed a honeymoon with China for much of 2009 as Washington and Beijing tried to set aside differences over Taiwan, Tibet, human rights and China's currency policies to combat the global economic crisis.

In short succession, however, those issues and new ones, including the cyber-security threat from China underscored by Google Inc's troubles, are set to roil ties this year as the United States gears up for congressional elections.

"This year the United States won't be like last year when it comes to human rights, political control and the Internet," said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international politics at Renmin University in Beijing.