US think tanks and businessmen are looking for many breakthroughs to come from the fifth round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) being held in Washington. High on many's list is a loosening of US restrictions on exports of high-tech goods to China.

"Both sides have expectations of the other," said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia in the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "If the US and China agree to enter into serious negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty, both would benefit."

Stanley Chao, a Chinese American consultant who helps western firms do business in China, told China Daily on Wednesday "more trust and meetings will be needed before we see positive movements on allowing high-tech imports to China".

"I do feel there has been for the past 50 years a sense of domination by the US of Asia," he said. "The US sometimes feels it rules over all Asian countries, including China. This has to stop for both countries to work together."

Americans need to listen to what the Chinese are proposing, instead of just always demanding concessions, he said.

"I think US officials are prepared to do this and listen to the opinions of the Chinese officials," he said, calling the Obama-Xi summit a "feeling out" for both countries of each other, and the real work will be done this week and will set the tone for "real, implementable actions".

George Koo, an international business consultant and board member of New America Media, said it has been nearly three years since Obama declared his intention to reform US export controls policy and greatly simplify procedures that would facilitate high-tech exports to China.

According to Obama's announcement, "the current export control system is overly complicated, contains too many redundancies, and, in trying to protect too much, diminishes our ability to focus our efforts on the most critical national security priorities".

chenjia@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily USA 07/11/2013 page16)