'Strategic distrust'

There will be none of the pomp associated with US-Chinese summits when US President Barack Obama meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Sunnylands Estate in Southern California this week. In an unprecedented move, both parties agreed to ditch the ties and break from diplomatic protocol. In the private retreat the leaders of the top two economic and trading nations will be holding a shirt-sleeves summit.

The global balance of power has been shifting over the past few years. While the US ranks amongst the world's most indebted countries, China has become one of its biggest lenders. By the next decade China is expected to overtake the US as the largest economy on earth. At the Sunnylands residence Obama will be meeting with an assertive Chinese leader seeking a bigger place at the global table.

The real essence of the talks scheduled for this Friday and Saturday (June 7-8, 2013) was summed up a year ago by former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: "The United States and China are trying to do something that is historically unprecedented, to write a new answer to the age-old question of what happens when an established power and a rising power meet."

'Strategic distrust'

Historically speaking, the answer to this question has been in most cases conflict and war. In the current case, ties between the Washington and Beijing have been characterized by mutual suspicion, especially regarding each other's long-term objectives. This has prompted political scientists to describe the relationship as one of "strategic distrust."

On the one hand, Beijing has been insinuating that the US government is intent on stemming or even sabotaging China's rise, thus ensuring its own political and economic hegemony. President Obama's "rebalancing" of US foreign policy towards Asia - including a shift of diplomatic and military resources - has given the Chinese even more reason to become suspicious.

On the other hand, the Washington is increasingly wary of the possibility of China dominating Asia - at the expense of American influence and interests. Strategists believe US-China ties will take on the form of a zero-sum game rather than a win-win situation. Elizabeth Economy, director for Asia Studies at the US-based Council on Foreign Relations is cautiously optimistic that the two nations will be able to overcome their mutual distrust. Economy told DW that in order to re-establish trust the two parties must find a common ground. The China expert added, however, that this might be a long-term process requiring common values and policy approaches.

But Economy also emphasized that the US is not the only country having trust issues with the Chinese. She said other nations are also having disputes with Beijing over intellectual property theft, cyber intrusions and territorial limits.

Growing political influence

For many years the Chinese chose not to play a major part in international affairs. The dictum followed by the late reformist leader Deng Xiaoping stated that China should "hide its light under a bushel and wait for the appropriate moment." After decades of economic growth it is likely that China's newly appointed leadership considers now to be the right time.

The German political scientist Eberhard Sandschneider considers it to be natural for states to translate their strong economic performance into political influence and military might.

Spending some 'quality time'

He told DW that states with powerful economies gradually become active in the international arena and start developing global interests. "We will have to get used to the idea that China will play an increasingly active role in world affairs," he said.

The expert believes that it is prudent for the US and China to get to know each other's objectives better in order to avoid misunderstandings or even conflict.

The meeting in California is therefore a "great opportunity" for Obama and Xi to spend some "quality time" together and build mutual trust, Sandschneider added. However, these will not be the first face-to-face talks held between the two leaders. Xi travelled to the US in 2012 as vice president and leader-in-waiting.