High hopes are pinned on his trip, which is expected to lay a solid foundation for stable Sino-US relations in the long run.

This will be the fifth summit between Hu and US President George W. Bush since May 2005.

Hu begins his tour in Seattle, where a large Chinese purchasing mission headed by Vice-Premier Wu Yi signed a deal on April 11 to procure 80 Boeing jets. Covering 14 cities in the United States, Wu's delegation which included representatives of 111 Chinese businesses and was the largest delegation of its kind since 1979 inked contracts worth US$16.2 billion.

It was a display of China's sincerity, the government and firms included, in dealing with the trade imbalance between the two countries, even though China is not the cause of it.

The bulk purchase contracts are believed to have lubricated the wheels of Sino-US trade that is moving forward amid frictions and will pave the way for the success of Hu's US visit.

This trip is part of exchanges at multiple levels between China and the United States. Or, to be more exact, it signifies that most of the channels are open and clear.

The channels have been managed so well that they have made the exchange of ideas and opinions possible and regular. They matter a great deal to reduce, if not freeing the two countries from, frictions and misunderstanding.

In March alone, China hosted US Congressmen Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham, Deputy US Trade Representative Karan Bhatia and US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez.

The visits, which could not solve all the problems once and for all, turned out to be opportunities to search out the truth about the trade imbalance between the two countries.

Getting a taste of real Chinese cuisine, US Democrat Senator Schumer, together with his Republican colleague Graham, agreed to put off a punitive tariffs bill against China after their fact-finding mission.

Dialogue, rather than exerting pressure, helps the two countries find solutions to the problems in their relations.

While amity benefits both, conflicts lacerate bilateral relations between the two nations.

Hu's trip is set to clear US minds of doubts and suspicion about China.

It is perhaps meaningful that Hu will explain the Chinese philosophy of peaceful development at Yale University, US President Bush's alma mater.

His meetings with Americans from the president to scholars will allow Hu to acquaint himself with the only superpower in the world and its people. Still, the visit is a chance for Americans to gain a better understanding of the Chinese fourth-generation leader.

Mutual understanding is imperative given that co-operation between China and the United States on many issues such as counter-terrorism, energy, environmental protection and information security is unprecedented.

Hu's US trip will help consolidate bilateral relations, keeping them on the right track.