Is there a Russia-America-China “grand bargain” on the way?

Imagine a deal where America and Russia agree on combating ISIS in Syria, admittedly through the sad means of supporting or at least tolerating Assad.  After all, we were all able to agree on Iran, right?

Russia also will agree to keep Snowden away from the embarrassment of a trial and conviction in the United States.  Easier for Obama to let sleeping dogs lie.

America and China could agree on how close American planes and ships could come to the artificial islands.  The Philippines could be part of that deal.

We know which two nations need to lead a climate change agreement.

Toss in a U.S.-China bilateral investment treaty.

Then there’s the arms control agreement for cyberspace, for all three nations, maybe someday Iran too.

Up to forty different U.S.-Chinese agreements have been predicted — after all, Uncle Xi has to come home with something.

It all seems so easy, and logical too.  But, unfortunately, international politics is rarely so straightforwardly Coasian.  Maybe the bilateral investment treaty will come to pass!

For a useful conversation I thank J.