Source: Phoenix TV
Michael Pettis, talking to Phoenix TV, explained that state-level visits between China and the United States are always very important. “The relations between China nd the United States are probably going to be the driving relationships for the next 15 years,” Pettis said. As a result, it is important for high level officials in both countries to get a sense of their counterparts and to understand the ideas that drive each other's foreign policy. Pettis added that the current global financial crisis only increases the importance of Hu Jintao's up-coming visit.