After Xi's visit, China-US relations remain at status quo

THE expectations in the run-up to the visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States which began last week were modest; and as things turned out, there have been few surprises - at least so far.

In terms of timing, Mr Xi's visit overlapped with that of Pope Francis. As a result, it perhaps did not get the attention that it deserved; there is no question that the pontiff commanded far more popular appeal as well as media coverage. The US media was also diverted by the resignation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner in the middle of Mr Xi's visit. The Chinese president's visit was however, widely covered by the Chinese media.

Mr Xi, who is grappling with a slowing economy at home, had meetings with a range of American business leaders. While they reportedly still expressed enthusiasm about China's economy, many had concerns relating to domestic protectionism as well as intellectual property rights and cyber hacking.