Source: NewsAsia    Published: 2015-9-22

An interview with He Weiwen, senior fellow of the Chongyang Financial Institute, Renmin University.

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping makes his first official visit to the United States on Tuesday (Sep 22) amid concerns about his country’s economic growth.

Mr Xi’s visit comes almost two years after he became the president, at a time when Chinese investments in the US remain at an all-time high. Analysts say the visit will strengthen ties between the two sides.

Data from the US Commerce Department indicated that Chinese investments had reached US$9.5 billion last year, up from US$3.3 billion in 2010. US President Barack Obama is expected to offer Mr Xi a red carpet welcome at the White House.

High on the agenda will be plans for greater cooperation on climate change in the run up to December’s UN climate change conference in Paris. It is also expected that more progress will be made towards a bilateral investment treaty.

In recent years, the world’s two largest economies have witnessed closer ties in areas ranging from tourism to education. However, there still remains a sense of strategic distrust - from cyber security and China’s maritime disputes with its neighbouring countries to Beijing’s proposal to set up the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

But despite these differences, Chinese analysts are hopeful this visit will establish greater trust between the two sides, especially on a new template of country relations as proposed by Beijing.

“President Xi will have to further explain to Mr Obama this concept of major country relations in order to gain greater acceptance by the Americans, even if they don’t describe it as such,” said He Weiwen, senior fellow at the Chongyang Institute, Renmin University and Former Economic and Commercial Counsellor at the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco and New York.

“If the concept can be further institutionalised and consolidated, this will provide a good foundation for US-China relations.”

As the US prepares for a presidential election next year, an exchange programme heard debates on whether Mr Xi’s visit should be downgraded or even cancelled.

"I think it is not important whether Mr Xi is having a state banquet or McDonald’s,” said Liu Yang, an attendee at the exchange programme and deputy director of Prime News, Global Times.

“The most important thing is to communicate. The US and China need to talk and seek mutual clarification on their strategic intentions. China is rising and hence we need more space. The US needs to give China more space. But how much is enough? This is something that is being debated within the US.”

During the visit, President Xi is also expected to address the 70th anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. But observers from both sides agree that no major breakthroughs are expected as critical issues remain under negotiations.