Johnson : U.S. , China face tense moment over dissident 's apparent flight to U.S. protection . He says it has echoes of Tiananmen Square era ; reflects nations ' human rights differences . This hardly left sufficient time to seek instructions from Washington and to approach Chinese officials about the possibility of orchestrating a face-saving way to end the potential standoff . He says recent tiffs have tested nations ' ties ; incident comes on eve of U.S.-China talks . Christopher Johnson : U.S. 's internal conflicts , rise of internet , help make situation fraught .
Johnson : U.S. , China face tense moment over dissident 's apparent flight to U.S. protection . He says it has echoes of Tiananmen Square era ; reflects nations ' human rights differences . He says recent tiffs have tested nations ' ties ; incident comes on eve of U.S.-China talks . Christopher Johnson : U.S. 's internal conflicts , rise of internet , help make situation fraught .