Respondents in both China and US believe relationship is crucial, want ties to be closer, report Cheng Guangjin in Beijing and Chen Weihua in New York.

Vice-President Xi Jinping (R) and his US counterpart Joe Biden in Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, during Biden's visit to China in August. Xi will begin a visit to the US soon.  Wu Zhiyi / China Daily

Two recent surveys highlight positive attitudes that seem to be at odds with the often-strained China-US relationship. A majority of those interviewed said that the relationship is crucial to both countries. They also want greater cooperation, especially in economic and energy issues.

The surveys were commissioned at the end of 2011 by China Daily with Gallup in Washington and Horizon Research Group in Beijing. China Daily released the results on Thursday, days before Vice-President Xi Jinping's trip to the US. His visit, which begins on Monday, is widely expected to improve ties in what will be a turbulent US election year.

The data generated by the surveys, including opinions on US-China relations and perceived barriers to building stronger ties, was drawn from a wide range of people, including members of the general public and opinion leaders in the two countries.