Going far beyond words

"It does not matter whether a candidate sounds soft or tough on China. The key is the reality of China and its size. You simply cannot afford to ignore it. He or she will have to think what strategy will benefit the US."

On China's side, Mei believes what's important is to mind our own business and make our country better.

"We have learned not to heed too much the election politics across the Pacific because what's said in campaigning has little to do with what policy is actually implemented eventually."

Mei believes there's a "gap" or "hindrance" in mutual understanding between China and the US.

US scholars like to use "uncertainty" when forecasting China and some in China, in a similar vein, read too much into the signs of "American decline", he says.

"A crisis we may have is whether our prediction of America turns out to be correct. The same applies to our prediction of ourselves. A wrong prediction on both counts will be strategically disastrous."

To prevent calamitous mismatches in understanding, it is imperative we not only know each other's languages, Mei notes, but have intimate knowledge of the other side's thinking process.

"On that we have only scratched the surface."