2015年CRI Xi's Visit to Strengthen Major-power Ties with U.S.: Experts

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States is set to be his first state visit to the country since taking office in 2013.

Da Wei, director of US Research with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, says trust-building is going to be key.

"The visit will help tell the US who President Xi Jinping is, as well as what kind of leader he is. It will also help answer questions about where is China going. The president has already sent out answers to these questions at both the Sunnylands meeting in California and the Yingtai talks in Beijing. But this time, the visit will also send a messages to the American business community, the think tanks and the American people. It will tell them about China's reforms and development."

Although the China-US relationship has been seeing steady improvement, challenges such as the South China Sea and cyber security still remain key sticking points.

Ruan Zongze, formerly¹ with the Chinese embassy in the US, and now with the China Institute of International Studies, says he believes these issues are something the two sides can overcome.

"Cyber security is a common concern for China and the US. Both can work together to make changes to help one-another when it comes to cyber security. The two sides can also work to make their shared views applicable to other countries and non-state actors as well. So the best way to approach this issue is through talking, and not through sanctions."

Ruan Zongze also says he believes Xi Jinping's time in the US will be an opportunity to push forward talks on the Bilateral² Investment Treaty, which started seven years ago.

"China and the U.S. have held twenty rounds of BIT talks so far. Both sides will continue with the negotiations³. We don't think the talks will be concluded soon. But at least we can expect further progress during the President's time in the US."

Xi Jinping and Barack Obama sat down with one-another in June of 2013, with both leaders saying they want to create a relationship which will avoid confrontation⁴.

Professor Robert Keobane with Princeton University says he believes the momentum⁵ from the previous talks should carry over into this round of discussions.

"I think it will be very productive. They are two very serious leaders who both have huge interests in cooperating with each other as well as the discord⁶ we talked about. They know they have to work out differences of interests as well as commonalities. Neither of them is inclined toward making radical⁷ statements that make things worse. So I expect it will be a very productive visit."

Beyond cyber security and economics, the two are also expected to discuss military relations, counter-terrorism and climate change.

1 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

2 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

5 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

6 discord   

n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐

参考例句：

• These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
• The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。

7 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。