Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew Tuesday in his first meeting with a foreign dignitary since assuming office last week. Xi's meeting with Lew is not accidental, given the fact that Moscow is the first destination of Xi's maiden foreign trip as president.

Russia is China's most important strategic partner, while the US wields the biggest influence on China's interests. Washington's influence is everywhere due to its supreme power and international status, although its influence is increasingly becoming entangled with China's interests. It's hard to characterize the Sino-US relationship with a single word. The importance of the relationship doesn't depend on its nature, rather it is its size that matters.

Constant leadership efforts, clear geopolitical interests and public support for a strategic and cooperative partnership between Beijing and Moscow contribute to the development of Sino-Russian relations. The Sino-US relationship is also shaped by high-level strategic considerations, but there are many "non-official" elements mixed into the equation. Participation of various non-governmental forces from both, especially the US side, matters a lot in constituting the specialty of the bilateral relationship.

The Sino-US relationship can be symbolized as a gigantic basket of interests in which business circles of the two countries expect to make profits and provide job opportunities, while active political figures fulfill a new arena. Currently, development of Sino-US relations is based on interaction of various interests. Rationality at the strategic level plays a key role, but different interests fuel uncertainty in the relationship. Attitudes from the Chinese and US governments are moderate, but there are extreme opinions from both sides that increase distrust.

In view of such complexity, the Chinese and US governments need to make efforts in two areas. Firstly, they should increase their share of "common interests" as much as possible. The main common interest between China and the US is peace in the 21st century, particularly when considering the impact of Al Qaeda on the US and the fragility of China's economy amid turbulence. Whether large-scale war can be avoided in this century depends on interactions between China and the US.

Secondly, China and the US should establish a management and control mechanism over conflicts. The economic and ideological fields see most friction between China and the US and geopolitical competition intensifying. Although it's difficult to carry out management and control over conflicts, it's hardly an impossible mission.

The Chinese will pursue their "China dream" in the next decade, which doesn't conflict with the "American dream." The West is accustomed to the zero-sum mentality, but China must create a new precedent that benefits all.