Symbolism matters in state visits, especially as President Xi Jinping embarks on his first state visit to the United States.

To many observers, how the Chinese leader is treated, what he gives and receives on this meticulously planned trip announced seven months ago will be highly symbolic. That would not only be an official indicator of the actual state of Sino-US ties today, but also provide clues to the prospect of the Beijing-proposed "new type of major-country relationship".

A carefully choreographed rapport is essential for Xi's visit, because Sino-US ties are at a tricky crossroad. They can either succumb to the foreordination of the "Thucydides trap", or blaze a new trail and prove that a rising power and an existing one don't necessarily have to enter a confrontation.