US President Donald Trump (R) and his wife Melania (L) arrive at US Air Force Yokota Air Base in Fussa, on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, November 5, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Trump's meeting with former statesman Henry Kissinger prior to his Asia trip, which takes him to Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, undoubtedly highlights the importance of the US president's visit to China.

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Trump is to pay a state visit to China from Wednesday to Friday, during which they are expected to discuss Sino-US relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

The US' ties with East Asia are undergoing an adjustment such as the one in the 1970s when the US decided to normalize ties with China. The change in Sino-US relations at that time altered the power structure in the Asia-Pacific and to a large extent brought an end to the Cold War in the region. The benign interactions in Sino-US relations in the following decades laid a geopolitical foundation for the "East Asia Miracle" that has continued to now.

Sino-US relations if well developed, will not only benefit the welfare of the people of the two countries, but also help promote peace and development throughout the whole of the Asia-Pacific region.

The frequent good interactions between the leaders of China and the US, the well-functioning dialogue mechanisms that have been established, and Trump's upcoming state visit to China, a return visit to the Chinese president's visit to the US in April, are an indication of the ever-closer ties between the two countries. By pursuing a friendly and fruitful Asia policy, Trump can end his diplomatic apprenticeship and properly play his role as US president.

- Beijing News