Friends and Partners Chinese President Xi Jinping’s State Visit to the U.S.

From September 22 to 25， 2015， Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first state visit to the United States upon an invitation from his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama. A landmark trip aimed at building trust and cooperation between the worlds two biggest economies， Xis visit drew global attention.

A major port for trade with Asia and a tech and aviation hub on the West Coast， Seattle was the first stop of Xis U.S. trip. “I have come to the United States to deepen friendship between our two peoples， expand practical cooperation across the board and promote even greater progress in building a new model of majorcountry relationship between China and the United States，” Xi said in Seattle.

Xis 3-day itinerary in Seattle included meeting government and business leaders， addressing forums between governors and between CEOs from the two countries， and visiting the Microsoft campus， Boeings main airplane assembly plant and a high school.

On the day Xi arrived in Seattle， a group of Chinese companies signed deals with Boeing to buy 300 aircraft. It is widely believed that Seattle was chosen as the first stop of Xis U.S. visit because it showcases the strong economic and people-to-people engagement between the two countries.

“We support large American businesses in setting up regional headquarters or research and development centers in China， and encourage more small and medium-sized companies to expand businesses in China，” Xi declared. “Meanwhile， China will keep increasing its investment in the United States.”

From the U.S. West Coast hub， Xi then flew to Washington D.C. for a summit with Obama at the White House. The two leaders exchanged views on bilateral ties， respective domestic and foreign policies， and the regional and international situation to ensure that the new model of major-country relationship between China and the U.S. develops on a healthy track.

In the wake of China-U.S. sparring over the South China Sea， cyber security and other issues， which has fueled worries of a Thucydides Trap， experts believe that the Xi-Obama summit marks “a turning point for the better.”

In Washington D.C.， Xi also met U.S. Congressional leaders and attended a welcome luncheon hosted by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry.

From September 26 to 28， Xi spent three days in New York City attending a series of summits at the United Nations headquarters marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the global body.

Xis entire U.S. trip “addresses two fundamental questions” in the eyes of Ruan Zongze， deputy head of China Institute of International Studies. “The first is what kind of China-U.S. relations China hopes to build. The second is what kind of international order China hopes to build.”

Through the visit， China is reassuring the world of its commitment to steering the China-U.S. relationship towards a healthier and steadier track and playing the role of a builder and guardian of the international system， Ruan added. “Such messages matter.”