Every year for the three years that Obama has been in office, he has mentioned China in his State of the Union address. The number of times he brought up China has doubled each year, from once in his first address to four times most recently. He only casually mentioned China in 2009. In 2010, he declared that the “U.S. won’t accept second position.” In 2011, he admitted the reality of the U.S.’s declining status. The delicate changes in Obama’s outlook on China were clearly reflected in his three addresses.
Source: Xinhua, January 26, 2011
http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2011-01/26/c_121027738.htm