Hu acknowledged the "differences and sensitive issues" between the two nations, but said cooperation would serve both sides.

At a time of tensions and stress in Sino-US relations, Chines President headed to the United States for a 3-day visit on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hu was to begin the visit in Washington with a private dinner on Tuesday evening in the White House residence, hosted by US President Barack Obama and to be attended by only a few senior officials from each side.
Obama will then lay on the pageantry of a state visit on Wednesday, including talks in the Oval Office and a state dinner, before Hu heads to Chicago for talks with business leaders. The visit will end on Friday.

The two sides recognize the deep divisions that have cropped up over the past year -- on the value of the yuan, the yawning trade gap, human rights, US arms sales to Taiwan and maritime rivalries in the Pacific.

In a rare interview with foreign media ahead of the trip, Hu acknowledged the "differences and sensitive issues" between the two nations, but said cooperation would serve both sides.
"We both stand to gain from a sound China-US relationship, and lose from confrontation," he told the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal in a written interview.

Chinese state media reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that a series of deals was expected to be signed during the visit, including the sale of Boeing aircraft to China, where the aviation sector is booming.
Another possible major deal in the works is one that would see China help the United States develop its high-speed rail network, the China Daily said.

In September last year, then California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said during a visit to Shanghai that he hoped China would invest in his state's future high-speed rail network.
Other agreements signed would focus on bilateral trade, energy, environmental protection, infrastructure building, and cultural exchanges, the China Daily said.

Chinese and US businesses on Monday signed deals worth $600 million in the southern state of Texas, China's Xinhua news agency reported.