Pollack said he doesn't think any of these issues "arrive in a take it or leave it basis," but "the question is whether this form can provide the basis for the maturation in the willingness of both sides to air their differences, see where the critical disputes may be, and to see whether or not progress can be made."

One of the more concrete results of the meetings is an agreement to work more closely on confronting climate change.

There is a "real commitment in (the) United States government to try to find some avenues for much more serious discussion and negotiation" with the Chinese side, as both countries have "a huge shared stake" in the area, Pollack said.

He said he was interested in whether the two countries could develop a serious pilot project to deal with carbon sequestration.

The success of such an endeavor could signify the abilities of the two sides to cooperate, while having a real impact on technological terms to "deal meaningfully with the challenge that climate change and our dependence on the carbon based economy represents," he said.

During the dialogue, the two sides held meetings on energy security and climate change, identifying key areas for future cooperation. They also expanded their EcoPartnership program with the signing of six new partnerships to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and improve energy efficiency as well as create jobs.

As the two sides broaden discussions on the occasion of S&ED, the agenda could become overcrowded, Pollack cautioned.

"On the one hand you could say it underscores the unbelievable complexity of the U.S.-China relationship," but "what you do not want is for the discussions of the meeting to become so crowded that the bigger picture gets lost," he said.