People to people ties

Li of Brookings emphasized that people should not overlook the significance of the reciprocal visa agreement reached during Obama's trip to Beijing when the two countries agreed to extend business and tourist visas to 10 years and student visa to five years.

"It has linked the relationship of the two countries at a higher level and its impact and value may not be able to be predicted at the moment," he said.

There are now about 10,000 people flying between China and the US each day. In the 2013/2014 academic year, 270,000 Chinese mainland students were studying in universities and colleges in the US, up 16.5 percent over the previous year, according to a November report by the Institute of International Education.

Meanwhile, the number of Chinese tourists coming to the US has exceeded 2 million a year. Their average spending of $7,200 dwarfed the $4,500 by the average foreign tourist, according to the US Travel Association.

For many Chinese middle class, the current US holiday season is time for them to come to the US to shop 'til they drop.

Shao Qiwei, director of China's National Tourism Bureau, estimated that there will be 60 million Chinese visiting the US in the coming six years.

US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said in Chicago on Dec 17 that with the change in visa policy, 7.3 million Chinese visitors are expected to travel to the US by 2021, contributing nearly $8.5 billion per year to the US economy and supporting as many as 440,000 jobs.