It does not matter precisely how their ties are rhetorically framed - "new type of major-country relationship" or otherwise. China and the United States need a clear sense of direction as their relations approach a critical crossroad, and, as the latest talk about "frenemy-ship" indicates, could go either way.

So, it matters whether each side gets reassurance that it can count on the due respect of the other. It also matters whether President Xi Jinping's visit has been successful - to both Beijing and Washington, actually the world at large.

Judging from the lists of achievements Beijing and Washington have published, the visit was nothing but a success - a big one from Beijing's perspective.