BEIJING, Nov. 11 -- Like deja-vu, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, strolled side by side and conversed -- this time in chilly weather in Beijing.

The scene is reminiscent of their interactions at the Sunnylands retreat in California, where the two heads of state gathered for the first time and were captured smiling and talking for hours.

The equally high-profile but still casual get-together occurred Tuesday at Zhongnanhai in central Beijing right after the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting.

The fact that Xi and Obama chose to meet informally before their formal talks, is an indication of their growing personal friendship.

Through the walk, the two leaders seem to show the world their joint commitment to crafting a new type of major-country relationship, which they agreed on during their Sunnylands summit.H Some might disputably compare Beijing and Washington, the largest two economies in the world, to "frenemies," citing differences and disagreements which undeniably still exist between them.

However, just as President Xi has put it, the vast Pacific Ocean has ample space for both China and the United States. The two countries should be partners rather than rivals.

Nevertheless, for China and the United States to work together, it requires lots of political wisdom.

The stakes are not just on the two nations. The world's largest developing country and developed country should also endeavor to make their relationship a crucial stabilizing factor in a fast-changing international landscape.

To dispel suspicion and build up confidence, it is of vital significance for the two countries to enhance communication.

The Xi-Obama informal summits set good examples for the two sides to treat each other as real partners who treat each other with sincerity and candidness.

The White House has voiced its hope that Obama's state visit to China could help identify "a forward-looking agenda" for bilateral ties in the next two years.

In fact, it is high time for the U.S. leader, who is entering the final two years of his presidency, to make concerted efforts with China to translate their shared vision of a major-country relationship into action, and leave a fine political legacy.