Here are some past major exchanges of visits by leaders of the two states.
Linked as never before, China and the United States face new challenges tackling global issues ranging from the financial crisis, nuclear non-proliferation, and climate change, over 30 years after they formally established diplomatic ties.
China and the US resumed their once-stalled defense consultations Thursday in Washington in a further sign of the thawing of a stalled military-to-military ties between the two countries after a massive arms sale plan was announced by the US to Taiwan earlier.
The word "war" has been appearing increasingly in American debates about China, with the range of potential venues expanding with each new "intractable" issue that arises. Pile enough of these wooden scenarios atop one another, and eventually someone will strike the match.
Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Qishan on Thursday agreed with US Commerce Secretary Gary Faye Locke and Trade Representative Ron Kirk to enhance bilateral trade cooperation.
China and the United States on Wednesday signed eight green energy deals to enhance cooperation in the sector, a move analysts said would set examples for global collaboration in increasing energy efficiency.
The world's largest bilateral trade gap--and how to narrow it--will be the focus of high-level China-US talks in Beijing this week, with export barriers taking centre stage and the yuan lurking on the side.
The Treasury Department said that under annual benchmark revisions released Friday, China's holdings of US Treasury securities stood at $894.8 billion at the end of December, keeping it in first place ahead of Japan.
China overtook Japan in September to become the biggest foreign holder of US treasury bonds, Bloomberg.com reports.