President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan are welcomed by US vice-president Joseph Biden and his wife Jill after they arrive in Washington, Sept 24, 2015. [Photo by Lan Hongguang/Xinhua]

In June 2013, three months after Xi took over the Chinese presidency, he traveled to the US state of California and held a no-necktie summit with Obama, during which they reached consensus on building a new model of major-country relationship between the two countries.

Obama paid a state visit to China in November 2014, during which they enjoyed an exceptional night stroll in the Zhongnanhai compound in central Beijing. They also met in September 2013 and in March 2014 on the sidelines of two multilateral summits.

Before flying to the US capital, Xi just concluded a busy two-and-a-half-day stay in the West Coast technology and aviation hub of Seattle, where he put forward a four-point proposal on the development of the new model of major-country relationship.

The Chinese president will be in New York from Sept 26 to 28 for a series of summits and meetings marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.