It's not mission impossible

Turning 40 is a watershed moment in the Chinese perception of life "Man is free of confusion at 40".

Yet, as the Sino-US diplomatic relationship turns 40 later this month, plenty of confusions haunt, and in some ways bedevil, bilateral ties, which, during his visit to the United States, both Vice-President Xi Jinping and his American hosts have reiterated are probably the most important in the world.

Sino-US ties have weathered the twists and turns in the past thanks largely to the tacit understanding on both sides that the relationship was "too big to fail". But such a consensus alone is too rudimentary to anchor such an important relationship. A cooperative partnership based on mutual respect, mutual benefits and win-win outcomes, to which the leaders of both countries have pledged their commitment, requires a lot more.