China-US relations: Will it turn for the better?

And despite the downturn of China-US relations and growing mutual suspicion in recent years, both China and the US have intentions on maintaining a stable and bilateral relationship. In addition, China has repeatedly said that it has no intention on challenging or dislodging the US's influences in Asia or overturn post-WWII order in East Asia. President Xi said time and again that the Pacific Ocean is big enough for China and US, among others, to live peacefully together.

China is not trying to increase China's influence in East Asia at the expense of US, instead, China hopes to build a new type of China-US relations. China's economic and security initiatives in Asia, which caused a great discomfort in US, are not at all exclusively targeting US's influences in Asia. Instead, they are complementary to existing architectures, posing a healthy dose of competition.

Xi and Obama should have frank, open, and deep discussion on outstanding issues between the two countries. They should talk frankly to each other about what their most concerned or worried issues related with the other side.. Emphasizing the common interests of the two countries in dealing with a range of regional and global issues should be a priority. Thanks to the revolution in technology, the world today is rapidly shrinking into a small earth village. Whatever happens in one part of the world, the rest of world can feel the impact instantly. Xi and Obama should emphasize the common interests and their intentions to cooperate. They can show the world that they're not doomed to be rivals, or to be guarded against, but likely partners to work with.

Xi and Obama should also try their best to achieve some concrete results during their summit. This summit is no doubt the last state-visit summit between Xi and Obama before the US politics enters into its presidential election cycle, and is perhaps the last chance the two leaders sit down to talk and take concrete steps to improve bilateral relations before it turns for the worse.

For the past thirty years, despite the ups and downs, economic relations is a stabilizing force and the ballast of China-US relations. However, in recent years, both in China and in US, there are voices questioning the wisdom of close economic ties between the two countries, and some even argue for economic decoupling. Some US companies complain China's commercial environment is not as friendly to them as it used to be, and China companies complain that they are not provided a level playing ground in the US, especially in the investment field. The two heads should take these complaints seriously and take the necessary measures to address them as precise as possible.

China-US relations are too important to let fall free. This summit is an opportunity for the two leaders to talk frankly and take concrete measures to better the relations.

Wei Zongyou is Professor at Center for American Studies, Fudan University. His main research interests cover China-US Relations, American Foreign Policy and American Security Policy in the Asia-Pacific.