However, the arrival of new player is not always welcomed. Rising influx of Chinese investment is sometimes greeted with suspicion and even hostility in the United States, especially in the presidential election year.

"At a time when everyone is critical about China and fearing China would be the giant in the room, COSCO has proven what Americans have is a friend and partner who helped save the city and port traffic," said Hartigan, also co-chairman of the US-China Partnership Committee, a US national organization of government, business, education, media, and labor leaders dedicated to bilateral collaboration.

Fred Bergsten, director of the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, contended that China's contribution to the global recovery and job creation was "probably not fully appreciated" in the United States.

Emerging economies, led by China and India, were the main driver of the global economy and would continue to expand at a slower but relatively high pace for the foreseeable future, which would keep the global economy including the United States churning for some time, said Bergsten, who advocated the notion of a G2 world under the leadership of the United States and China.

Bergsten has been trying to inform the US public how important Chinese economy has meant to the world economy as a whole and for the United States.

"I would prefer a more effective process of consultation and collaboration to deal with bilateral economic and trade conflicts, " he said.