China and America, we all know, are closely intertwined. Their relationship is the central faultline of the world economy. They are mutually reliant. And yet it is governed by mutual incomprehension.
Until last week, when the Financial Times saw fit to whiz me through Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong for a series of debates on the country's future international role, I had never set foot in mainland China. Such a whistlestop tour does not remotely qualify me to prognosticate on China's grander questions.
But the experience did ram home just how deep the differences in perceptions are between what are now the world's two most powerful countries. This could have profound implications for the world's economy, and for investors.