U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama led to a series of unfortunate episodes, including U.S. involvement in the South China Sea, and joint U.S.-ROK and U.S.-Japan naval drills.

As Sino-U.S. ties became tenser, both sides realized that it was time to patch up the relationship. The two governments took steps to pave the way for Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to Washington.

Nevertheless, some Chinese would like to take a hard line against the U.S. And there are many hawkish Americans who regard China as a threat and want the administration to get tough, Jia said.

"Chinese and American policy makers must remain calm, try to pacify the hardliners and avoid being influenced by their opinions, because nationalism can push a government to make some irrational decisions that are detrimental to national interests," Jia said. But Jia is confident China and the U.S. are capable of properly handling their bilateral ties. "A large majority of foreign policy makers in both countries are pragmatic and hope to develop a friendly relationship with their counterparts," he said. "Good relations are beneficial to both sides".

The Sino-U.S. relationship has undergone massive change since the establishment of diplomatic ties in the late 1970s. China and the U.S. established relations to confront the common security threat from the former Soviet Union, Jia said.

But ties have since extended from security concerns into many other areas, including economic and political cooperation, and cultural and military exchanges, Jia said.

But Jia suggested that Sino-U.S. relations might face a period of uncertainty over the next few years as China goes through a leadership transition and the U.S. holds presidential elections in 2012.