The Great Divide

If there's any Chinese who feels a warm glow inside when he sees an American flag fluttering in the breeze it's Zhan Bingkui. As foreign-trade manager of the Shanghai Flag and Tent Factory, the chain-smoking 50-year-old sells tens of thousands of flags to America each year. With his livelihood at stake, Zhan is keenly aware of the state of relations between the two countries. In the past few years, he says, Chinese attitudes toward America have improved significantly: "China is more open now and is more friendly to the U.S." Still, the relationship remains complicated, he adds, noting that many Chinese...