A visit of great importance

CHINESE President Xi Jinping will make his first state visit to the White House on Thursday to meet US President Barack Obama. The trip - which has been billed in some quarters as the most important US visit by a Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping in 1979 - is drawing massive global attention which reflects both Mr Xi's growing stature as a world statesman, and the prominence that China now enjoys in international affairs.

Coming at a time of significant tension in bilateral relations, there is an extensive economic and security agenda for the meeting with Mr Obama, who is now in the last year-and-a-half of his presidency. The talks will range from the outlook for the global economy following the recent devaluations of the yuan; Asia-Pacific economic integration; regional security issues in Asia and beyond, including in the South China Sea; and alleged cyber attacks on US interests by Beijing.

The financial side of the equation is particularly pressing with continuing concerns across the world - including Wall Street - about the Chinese economy's health. The latter is on track to record this year its slowest growth in over two decades, and this summer's stock market gyrations have only fuelled the uncertainty.