C. Fred Bergsten has for decades been one of the most influential economists in the U.S., having served under several presidents and having founded, in 1981, the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Among his official roles, he was assistant secretary for international affairs for the Treasury during the Carter administration and assistant for international economic affairs to Henry Kissinger at the National Security Council. He remains a senior non-resident fellow and director emeritus at the PIIE. Dr. Bergsten has authored, co-authored or edited nearly 50 books, his latest being The United States vs. China: The Quest for Global Economic Leadership. He spoke to The Wire recently about the book and the prospects for U.S.-China cooperation in running the global economy. The following is a lightly edited transcript of that interview. C. Fred Bergsten. Illustration by Kate Copeland Q: China is being portrayed as a rising power about to unseat the United States as the worl