The focus of talks during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the US will be on maintaining a "fragile truce." That's the view of former senior UN adviser Jeffrey Sachs in an interview with CGTN.

Sachs, who calls China's rise a "natural" restoration of the status it held for 2,000 years, said the agenda for this week's talks would concentrate on avoiding a re-escalation of the two nations' tariff war.

He said: "I think it's important that these two giant economies keep an even keel and not revert to a direct open clash, but somehow keep this rather fragile truce that is underway."

Sachs believes an improvement in Sino-American relations is imperative for both countries.

He said: "We know that the relationship is absolutely fraught. There is a lot of real competition underway, a difference in geopolitics, to be sure. 

"But the United States really wants to keep a steady supply coming from China of rare earth magnets and other rare earth products and basic commodities."

China's hopes for the summit are also clear, according to Sachs. "China wants no breakdown in relations in many sectors, including in technology. 

"It certainly does not accept in any way threats of American sanctions if the U.S. attempted to sanction Chinese enterprises for trade with Iran or Russia."

In conclusion, Sachs argued that "both sides want to keep away from a tariff re-escalation. I think this is really the agenda."

'Historic and notable'

Sachs, who is professor at Columbia University in New York, believes the discussion of AI safety at the UN Security Council this week is "a major step towards forging some global governance."

He said: "Today (Wednesday) there will be a UN Security Council meeting. This is unprecedented. Leaders of Big Tech will be coming to the UN Security Council. 

"This is historic and notable, because it is correct that these issues of AI safety are worldwide. They involve all of humanity. They are not the purview of two or three US companies. They're not even the purview of the G20. This involves the entire world."

For the Chinese leader's first trip to the US in nearly three years, Trump will greet President Xi and his wife on the tarmac when they arrive Wednesday evening at the Maryland military base that hosts Air Force One.

The fanfare was due to include a state dinner with tech luminaries, a White House military ceremony including jet flyovers and a visit to the National Archives where the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed.