China, for its part, hopes to deflect some of that criticism and smooth over some longstanding differences. Less antagonistic ties between China and America would be welcome in East Asia, whose nations are wary of being drawn into conflicts between the two giants. Only last year, Beijing and Washington came close to a confrontation after the Chinese staged missile tests near Taiwan in protest against perceived assertions of independence by Taipei. To defuse future incidents, Jiang is expected to seek an accord establishing protocols to avoid conflict in regional waters. But Jiang will.
American officials warn against looking for major breakthroughs at the summit.
Washington is unlikely to make substantive concessions. The Americans also want China to stop selling nuclear weapons technology to Iran and Pakistan. In fact, China has taken steps to soften criticism and pave the way for more congenial talks. But such moves won't end American opposition to China's entry into the World Trade Organization, officials say. Washington wants Beijing to do more to stop illicit production and trade of counterfeit and pirated U.S. products in the mainland.