2016年，中美关系大体保持了稳定。9月3日，在G20杭州峰会期间，习近平主席与奥巴马总统举行了会晤。这是奥巴马两届任期内最后一次来到中国，是他与习主席的第八次会晤。两位元首就双边、地区和全球问题全面、深入地交换了意见，对话持续了五个多小时。双方肯定了中美关系近年来在发展经贸关系、应对气候变化、建立两军交流互信机制、打击网络犯罪、应对非洲埃博拉疫情、推动伊朗核问题达成全面政治解决等方面取得的重要进展，并同意要建设性地管控分歧，推动中美关系持续健康稳定发展。会后发表了《中美元首杭州会晤中方成果清单》，列举了35项成果，这是对奥巴马两个任期中美关系的一个总结，也是下届美国总统任内中美关系的出发点。

近年来，习近平与奥巴马推动两国在引领全球应对气候变化方面建立了历史性的伙伴关系，使这种合作成为中美双边关系的一大支柱。两国率先批准了《巴黎协定》。9月3日在杭州，两国向联合国秘书长潘基文交存了各自参加《巴黎协定》的法律文书，为推动《巴黎协定》尽早生效作出了重大贡献，获得国际社会的普遍赞扬。两国元首承诺继续采取有力度的国内行动，以进一步推动国内国际两个层面向绿色、低碳和气候适应型经济转型。

2016年，两国各种交流机制正常运转。在过去七年多中，中美战略与经济对话对于两国拓展合作、管控分歧至关重要。6月6日至7日，第八轮中美战略与经济对话、第七轮中美人文交流高层磋商在北京举行。习近平主席在开幕辞中回顾了从2013年“庄园会晤”以来两国构建新型大国关系的进展，强调“无论国际风云如何变幻，我们都应该坚持这个大方向，毫不动摇为之努力”。针对许多亚洲国家不愿意在中美之间选边，习近平特别指出，两国应该“努力培育两国共同而非排他的'朋友圈'，都做地区繁荣稳定的建设者和守护者”，显示了中国领导人睦邻友好的善意和豁达胸怀。对话进展顺利，双方就有关问题取得了广泛的共识。第七轮中美人文交流高层磋商取得了158项成果，涉及教育、科技、文化、卫生、体育、妇女和青年七个领域。

两军交往继续开展，今年美方再次邀请中国海军参加环太军演。中方派遣了5艘舰艇、3架舰载直升机、1个特战分队和1个潜水分队，于6月29日至8月4日在美国夏威夷参加由美国主导的“环太平洋-2016”演习，参加了包括火炮射击、综合演习、海上安全行动、水面舰艇演练、军事医学交流、人道主义救援减灾和潜水在内的七个课目。

在联合打击网络犯罪方面同样取得进展。12月7日，中美第三次打击网络犯罪高级别对话在华盛顿举行。双方就推进打击网络犯罪、网络安全合作、完善热线联络机制、网络反恐合作、情报信息共享等达成广泛共识，并提议2017年在中国举行第四次对话。中国国务委员、公安部长郭声琨指出，双方应坚持把对话机制作为两国就网络问题开展沟通交流的主渠道，聚焦合作，管控分歧，及时有效回应各自关切，实现不冲突不对抗、相互尊重、合作共赢。美国司法部部长林奇、国土安全部部长约翰逊表示，希望双方在现有基础上延续和发展好这一机制，进一步开展务实合作，共同打击网络恐怖主义和电子邮件诈骗等网络犯罪行为。

2016年奥巴马政府继续实施亚太“再平衡”战略，继续搅局南海，并与韩国商定在半岛部署“萨德”反导弹系统，在中美关系中制造了新问题。

美国继续实行所谓“航行自由计划”，派遣其舰队来南海地区“巡航”，遭到中方严正批评。7月12日，菲律宾南海仲裁案仲裁庭作出了裁决，美国借机对中国施加压力，奥巴马政府高官为此连连发声。但与此同时，奥巴马政府也感觉到，美国在南海问题上的做法已经触及了中方的底线，而且菲律宾新任总统杜特尔特在南海问题上立场与前任阿基诺三世不同，在最终裁决出台前后，他多次表示愿意就南海争端与中国展开对话。在这种情形下，奥巴马政府开始采取措施降温。7月25日，国务卿克里在老挝万象东亚合作系列外长会议期间会见王毅外长，并公开表示现在到了使紧张降温，把这一页翻过去，开始使用各种外交途径来解决问题的时候了。此后，南海的紧张气氛明显降低。

杜特尔特总统今年6月就任总统以来发表了许多言论，抨击美国对菲律宾内政的干涉，表示不愿意继续做美国的“棕色小伙伴”，要与中国、俄罗斯加强关系。由于菲律宾在南海的战略地位，杜特尔特的这种政策转变对美国的“再平衡”战略是一个沉重打击。但奥巴马政府继续寻求加大“再平衡”的力度，尤其是国防部长卡特，抓住奥巴马任期最后这两三个月，不放过任何机会来强化这个战略。9月29日，卡特在停泊在圣地亚哥母港的美国“卡尔·文森”号航母上发表讲话宣称，美国将继续与盟友和伙伴在一起，将继续在国际法允许的地方飞越、航行与活动，并称“再平衡”战略已经进入第三阶段，美国将提升美国军事存在的质量，促进亚太地区建成一个有原则的开放的安全网络，使美国军队成为这一地区最强大的军事力量。

2016年中美两国间另一重大争议是美国在韩国部署“萨德”反导系统问题。朝鲜半岛局势近年来持续紧张，进入2016年局势更加恶化。1月6日，朝鲜进行了第四次核试验，朝鲜自称这是一次成功的氢弹试验，美国等也认为此次核试验标志朝鲜在核武器领域取得了重要进展。 2月7日，朝鲜又利用远程导弹技术发射了“光明星4号卫星”。美国趁机大力鼓吹在韩国部署“萨德”系统。3月4日，美韩成立联合工作组，开始正式协商部署事宜。4个月后，7月8日美韩军方发表联合声明，宣布了部署决定，并称最晚将于2017年末正式投入使用。中方坚决反对美韩决定，一再指出“萨德”决不是单纯的技术问题，而是不折不扣的战略问题。在韩国部署“萨德”将对半岛形势、地区稳定及中韩关系造成严重负面影响。为了反制“萨德”反导系统，2016年5月，中俄在俄罗斯举行首次'空天安全2016'联合计算机演习，预防领土受到弹道导弹和巡航导弹的意外和挑衅性攻击。中俄还将于2017年举行第二次反导联合演习。

11月8日，美国大选尘埃落定，共和党候选人特朗普胜出，给中美关系带来了新的不确定因素。12月2日，特朗普接到了台湾领导人蔡英文打来的祝贺电话，这一举动打破了中美关系正常化37年来的惯例，受到美国舆论界的广泛质疑，中国方面也予以严厉批评。白宫和国务院的发言人一再重申美国的一个中国政策没有改变。从奥巴马政府到特朗普政府中美关系能否实现平稳过渡牵动着中美两国民众的心。

China-US relations were generally stable in 2016. On his last presidential visit to China, US President Barack Obama had his eighth meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Hangzhou. Over more than five hours, they had in-depth discussion about bilateral, regional and global topics of concern. They affirmed the important progress the two parties have achieved in recent years in developing economic and trade ties, coping with climate change, building military exchange and mutual-trust mechanisms, cracking down on cyber crimes, dealing with the Ebola pandemic in Africa, and facilitating a comprehensive political resolution of the Iran nuclear issue. They agreed to constructively manage differences and promote continuous, healthy, steady development of China-US ties. The 35-item Chinese “Checklist of Achievements of the Hangzhou Summit of Chinese and US Heads of State” was a summary of China-US relations during Obama's two terms of office, as well as a starting point for bilateral ties in a new US presidency.

Over years, Xi and Obama facilitated the countries' historic partnership in leading the global response to climate change, making it a significant pillar of bilateral ties. After ratifying the Paris Agreement, both leaders have promised to continue taking forceful moves at home to promote transition to green, low-carbon, climate-adaptive economies at both domestic and international levels.

In 2016, all exchange mechanisms between the two countries functioned well. In the past seven years, China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue has proven critical for expanding cooperation, managing differences. The 8th China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue and 7th China-US High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange were held in Beijing on June 6 and 7. In his opening speech, President Xi reviewed progress in endeavors to formulate a new type of major-country relationship, emphasizing adherence to the direction no matter what changes take place in international relations.Seeing that many Asian countries don't want to take sides between China and the US, Xi pointed out both countries should cultivate “common rather than mutually exclusive” circles of friends, and be “builders and custodians of regional prosperity and stability”. The dialogue proceeded smoothly, resulting in extensive consensus on issues of common concern.

Military-to-military exchanges continued, and the US side again invited the PLA Navy to participate in the RIMPAC. The Chinese side sent five vessels, three ship-based helicopters, one special warfare detachment, and a diving unit to participate in the drill in Hawaii from June 29 to August 4.

Progress was also made in joint crackdown on cyber crimes. The third high-level dialogue on fighting cyber crimes was held in Washington D.C. on Dec 7. The two sides reached extensive consensus on cracking down on cyber crimes, cooperating on cyber security, improving a hotline mechanism, and cooperating on online anti-terror projects and intelligence sharing. They proposed to hold the fourth dialogue in 2017.

In 2016, the Obama administration continued implementing its “pivot” to the Asia-Pacific, muddling the waters in the South China Sea, and decided to deploy the THAAD system in the Republic of Korea, creating new troubles for China-US relations.

The US continued its “freedom of navigation operations”, dispatching fleets to the South China Sea on “patrol” missions, inviting solemn condemnations from China. Taking advantage of the Permanent Court of Arbitration's ruling on the Philippines-initiated arbitration on July 12, the US mounted pressure on China. Seeing that its conduct has touched China's bottom line, and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed willingness to come into dialogue with China over the South China Sea, the Obama administration had to move to cool things down. On July 25, during their meeting in Vientiane, Laos, US State Secretary John Kerry told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi it was time to turn the page and solve problems by diplomatic means. Tensions over the South China Sea have eased considerably thereafter.

Given Philippine President Duterte's aversion to US interference in his country's internal affairs, as well as the Philippines' strategic position in the South China Sea, Duterte's policy change proves a heavy blow to the US pivot. Yet the Obama administration, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter in particular, is missing no opportunity in the remainder of Obama's presidency to consolidate the strategy. On Sept 29, aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego, Carter declared US “rebalancing” has entered Phase 3, saying the US will improve the quality of its military presence in the Asia-Pacific, and make the US military the strongest military force in the region.

Another major issue between China and the US in 2016 was the THAAD deployment in South Korea. Persistent tensions on the Korean Peninsula deteriorated in 2016. On Jan 6, North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test, which Pyongyang claimed was a successful H-bomb test, one that the US believed to mark a major step forward in Pyongyang's nuclear pursuit. On Feb 7, North Korea launched a satellite using long-rage missile technologies. The US availed itself of the opportunity to trumpet its deployment of THAAD in South Korea. On July 8, US and ROK militaries issued a joint declaration, announcing the system will be put into operation by the end of 2017 at the latest. China resolutely opposed this, stated repeatedly that deploying THAAD in South Korea is not a simple matter of technology, but one of strategy, and its deployment will seriously affect regional stability and China-ROK ties. In response to THAAD, China and Russia conducted their first joint computer-based drill “Space Security 2016” and agreed to hold a second joint anti-missile exercise in 2017.

Donald Trump's win in the US presidential election brought new uncertainties to China-US relations. By receiving the call from Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen on Dec 2, Trump broke a 37-year-old norm in effect since China and the US established diplomatic ties, which has not only raised concerns at home, but received harsh condemnation from China. Spokespersons of both the White House and State Department have repeatedly stated there is no change in the US government's “one-China” policy. People in both countries are waiting to see whether China-US relationship can transfer smoothly from the Obama presidency to the Trump era.