Hu will be the guest of honor for President Barack Obama's third state dinner on the night of January 19, as the US leader reciprocates following his own state visit to China last year.

The visit will come at a time of aggravated tensions between Washington and Beijing, despite efforts by both sides to find common ground on issues like North Korea and Iranian nuclear sanctions.

But the White House, in fixing the date of a visit that had previously been announced, preferred to stress the positive sides of a relationship between the world's sole superpower, and the emerging giant of Asia.

"President Hu's visit will highlight the importance of expanding cooperation between the United States and China on bilateral, regional, and global issues, as well as the friendship between the peoples of our two countries," the White House said in a statement.

"The President looks forward to welcoming President Hu to Washington to continue building a partnership that advances our common interests and addresses our shared concerns."

Economic ties between China and the United States have been severely strained by US allegations that Beijing is keeping the value of its currency, the yuan, articially low to boost its exports.

Obama has repeatedly called on China to allow the yuan to find a fair market value, and officials said that most of his most recent meeting with Hu, in Seoul last month, was devoted to currency issues.

Obama's national security advisor Tom Donilon said in Japan, also in November, that he wanted the Chinese to show progress on the yuan before Hu and Obama sit down at the White House.

"By the time of President Hu Jintao's visit in January, I think, would be a good time to look at what has been the quantum of progress... on this," he said.

Earlier, the United States announced that Defense Secretary Robert Gates would visit Beijing early in the New Year, in a possible sign that diplomatic and military tensions may be easing between Washington and China.

The Pentagon said Gates will travel to China from January 9 to 12, one year after Beijing snapped off military relations with Washington in protest against a multibillion-dollar US arms package for rival Taiwan.

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters that Gates would work to build a military relationship with China "that is confident in tone, cooperative in nature and comprehensive in scope."

The visit has been keenly sought by President Barack Obama's administration, which considers the military to be the most hesitant about the United States among China's major institutions.

Gates' talks will likely focus on tensions in the Korean peninsula, which have abated in recent days, but have been elevated for several months. China is the main ally of North Korea and is seen in Washington as one of the few states with any influence over Pyongyang.

Gates will look to "extend upon those areas where we can cooperate" with China's military and promote dialogue aimed at improving "mutual understanding and reducing the risk of miscalculation," Morrell told reporters.

The United States had previously said that it would welcome Hu in January, but Wednesday's announcement was the first time that it had named a date.

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