Biden to emphasize Asia pivot on tour(2)

Trip to Beijing

Commenting on the second stop of Biden's visit, USA Today described the China stop on Monday as being "of particular interest".

Biden, who last visited China in August 2011 at the invitation of then-vice-president Xi Jinping, has a good personal relationship with Xi. Biden accompanied Xi through most of his five-day US visit in 2012.

From another angle, Biden will be the most senior US official to visit China after the upcoming Third Plenum of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee due to be held from Nov 9 to 12, at which a number of economic reform measures that show the country's direction in the next decade are expected to be unveiled.

Jia said Biden's China visit will focus more on economic cooperation, though his trip right after the CPC meeting might be a "coincidence" because "there are so many factors deciding the date of a foreign visit".

"He is also here to show Washington's commitment to developing ties with Beijing, now that Obama cannot make a China trip this year."

Biden is the highest-level US official to visit China since the new Chinese leadership came into office in March.

Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser on Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington, said implementing the agenda items agreed upon at the 5th Strategic and Economic Dialogue should be a high priority.

The items include starting formal negotiation of a bilateral investment treaty, which both sides find of great importance.

Glaser also expected the two sides to exchange views on development of their policies toward the Asia-Pacific region.

"China should explain its just-held high-level meeting on periphery diplomacy, and Biden can provide an update on the US rebalancing to Asia," Glaser said.