News Analysis: Chinese president's U.S. visit could help resolve issues between 2 top economies

World leaders this week are watching very closely the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States where he will hold talks with U.S. President Barack Obama, said an India-born academic at a Cambodian university.

"President Xi's visit to the U.S. amidst global economic and security concerns can be described as the most important visit by a Chinese leader to the U.S. in a decade," Joseph Matthews, director of International Cooperation Department at the Phnom Penh- based Asia Euro University, said in an article released to Xinhua.

He said economic issues, cyber-security, maritime disputes, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and human rights will certainly dominate the talks when the leaders of the world's two largest economies meet.

Climate change, Taiwan issue and Japan's recently-adopted security bills which empower the Japanese government to discard its pacifist constitution will also be of great concern to the Chinese side.

Mathews said the summit between the two leaders will help stabilize the world economy and markets at these jittery moments when the refugee problem in Europe has triggered a fierce debate within the EU and the continued war in Syria and Yemen that continue to threaten the peace and stability of the whole region.

"All countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Cambodia, also expect that the Bilateral Investment Treaty that has been under negotiation for years will also be discussed," he said.

Matthews said China is the biggest investor and donor in Cambodia while the U.S. is the largest market of Cambodian garments and other products.

"Any tangible economic agreement between these countries will ultimately benefit the Cambodian economy," he said.

"It is an opportunity for both leaders to show their statesmanship and leadership as the Number 1 and Number 2 economy in the world by addressing the world's economic concerns which are common objectives of all regions," he said.

"Keeping all these in perspectives, it is safe to say that economy is the most important point that the two leaders should tackle," Mathew said.

Mathew said the summit should also be an opportunity for the two countries to discuss the issue of Internet hacking which has been the subject of charges and counter-charges from both sides.

"China and the U.S. should come up with a joint strategy to finally resolve the problem," he said.

Other issues such as South China Sea dispute, human rights, the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, Chinese currency and trade imbalance should be dealt prudently in the interest of both nations and the world economy, he said.

Matthew said the U.S. has to accept and recognize China as an important economic, political and strategic player in the world today.

"The key to success of the talks in Washington is based on the basic principles of equality, transparency, accountability and mutual respect," said the expert. Endi