While the agreements of the Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) have not stopped the growing anti-China sentiment in Washington, it appears for now that the anger, particularly from the US Congress, remains more talk than action.
Sanctioning trade with China is unlikely to be the top priority for American politicians, who currently have their hands full with more pressing international concerns, such as the war on Iraq.
'Tangible results' were the words used by US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to describe the accords reached from the two-day SED meeting last week.
Vice-Premier Wu Yi also called the agreements - encompassing civil aviation routes, the financial services industry, environmental technology and the purchase of USS$32.6 billion worth of American goods - 'a complete success'.
Despite positive words from both sides, the reaction from the US Congress was unsurprisingly negative because there was no movement on the contentious yuan valuation, which many US commentators blame for the growing trade deficit with the mainland.
'For years, we have heard vague assurances of greater market access for American financial institutions, but they rarely seem to become reality,' said Democratic Senator Charles Schumer, a leading critic of Beijing.
