The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the United States proposed U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's visit to China to exchange views on bilateral ties. 

China's vice foreign minister in charge of China-U.S. relations, Xie Feng, held talks with Sherman on Monday in Tianjin, not far from the Chinese capital. She was also due to meet with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi later in the day. 

Chinese analysts were disappointed by the China-U.S. talks in March, saying Washington didn't have the same desire as Beijing to move relations forward, especially after ties plunged to their lowest in nearly five decades due to former President Donald Trump's anti-China stance and rhetoric. 

But other experts are hopeful of the Biden administration's second try at engaging with China through Sherman's visit. 

Da Wei, director from Center for Strategic and International Security Studies said the U.S. wants a serious engagement with China. 

"From our experience engaging with the U.S., the U.S. deputy secretary of state always plays an important role in the state department. For sure she is a very important figure in American foreign policy committee," Da added. 

He also said the talks between Xie and Sherman can be considered a positive step, and could pave the way for more dialogue at senior official-levels. 

The U.S. State Department said the visit is part of ongoing U.S. efforts "to hold candid exchanges with Chinese officials," adding that Sherman will continue to speak to China "from a position of strength." 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has rejected such remarks. Wang's words on Saturday may be indicative of the tone of his meeting with Sherman. 

"I would like to tell the U.S. side clearly that there has never been a country in this world that is superior to others, and there shouldn't be one," Wang said. 

Zhu Feng, professor of international relations at Nanjing University, says the biggest challenge the U.S. and China now face is rebuilding trust and respect. 

"We need some sort of political insurance from Washington," said Zhu. "Don't just attack China as a punchbag, otherwise, China will also be reacting in a very harsh way."

Despite the accusations and sanctions leveled by Washington at Beijing over a range of issues, experts said that no matter how the U.S. sees itself, China's prominence on the world stage cannot be ignored, and it needs to be regarded with due respect.