Xi's upcoming visit vital for Sino-U.S. ties: Chinese scholar

Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States in September will be of great significance, a renowned Chinese scholar said Tuesday, while warning that issues such as cyber security are expected to bring challenges.

This will be Xi's first state visit to the United States since he became China's top leader in 2013.

Sino-U.S. relations are the world's most important bilateral relationship and affect not only China and the U.S. but also the world as a whole, said Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies at China's Peking University.

Exchanges between high-level officials from the world's two biggest economies will be crucial to maintain normal relations and improve bilateral ties, added the scholar, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Xi and Obama met in 2013 for an informal summit at the Annenberg Retreat in California, where they agreed to build a new type of major country relationship.

In November 2014, Obama paid a state visit to China after attending an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Beijing. Xi and Obama spent 10 hours together and both countries announced breakthroughs on climate change and visa policies.

The Chinese president's September trip will coincide with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

Analysts say Xi and Obama are expected to talk on regional and international issues such as the 70th anniversary of the victory against fascism, cyber security, the Iranian nuclear issue and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Jia said that cyber security is expected to be a huge challenge for China, the United States and the whole world.

"They have broad prospects for cooperation in this regard, especially in the establishment of a new cyberspace order," he added. Endi