Xi Jinping, then China's Vice President, in February 2012 called for a new type of major country relationship between China and the U.S.. In March the same year, Hillary Clinton, then Secretary of State, responded positively response by saying that the two countries should create a framework for building trust over time and there was no intrinsic contradiction between supporting a rising China and advancing America's interests. The common understanding paved the way for the fourth round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) and the third round of the China-U.S. High level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange (CPE) that year, focusing on building a new type of major country relationship.

Three years after that, however, it seems that the U.S. no longer takes a positive attitude towards the concept of a new type of major country relationship. Several changing factors affect the U.S. attitude. One fundamental factor is the weakening of U.S. willingness to engage China in the international system. After China's reform and opening up, the dominating thinking in the U.S. was to shape China's development path by engaging it in the international system. But China has embarked on its own way to achieve successful development and actively initiate some regional mechanisms in recent years. Some U.S. scholars and officials began to doubt China's role in the international system, arguing that China was a "free-rider" and harbored the intention to push U.S. out of Asia or even upend the existing international system.

The U.S. may feel confused about the prospect of the domestic politics in China. Some U.S. scholars and media outlets have no clue about the direction of China's new round of reform and feel pessimistic about China's prospects, believing the country has not changed its policies on some domestic issues, such as internet and media regulation. Recently, China's proposed new legislation on overseas NGOs raised more doubts and misunderstandings in the United States.

Another changing factor is the foreign policy of the two countries as China gradually takes a more active foreign policy rather than a reactive one in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the neighboring maritime area. In November 2013, China's Ministry of National Defense issued an announcement of the aircraft identification rules for the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone. China has also taken actions to safeguard its own national interest in the South China Sea despite U.S. pressure. The U.S. has carried out its Asia-Pacific Rebalance Strategy, a clear shift of its strategic priority to the region. One of the many signs is to further consolidate its alliance system, which is perceived by some Chinese as a Cold War relic and a potential threat to the regional peace and stability.

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