Smart Q&A Cooperation, Conflict and Underlying Distrust: U.S. - China Relations and the Korean Peninsula Andrew Nathan, Columbia Univ. Andrew Nathan, Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, argues that while U.S. and China are cooperative in many aspects, their relationship is punctuated by a deep sense of mistrust amid competing strategic interests. Nathan points out that it is too early to consider potential power transition between the two, and domestic problems will continue to be a challenge for China's emergence. For South Korea, Nathan emphasizes the importance of keeping the balance between the two instead of a tilt.