While headlines are dominated by election news and the war in Iran, our government is quietly getting ready for one of the most important events of the year. In under four weeks, President Donald Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House. The meeting comes at a crucial juncture for bilateral relations. Currently, the United States and China are in a fragile trade truce that is set to expire by the second week of November. Trump should capitalize on the moment to build an enduring U.S.-China economic relationship that will improve the lives of average Americans. To do so, he’ll need to push through a bureaucracy that is taking too long while also selling any new economic deal to a skeptical public.

Trump’s May visit to China and his strong relationship with Xi present the U.S. government with an opportunity to demonstrate that constructive U.S.-China relations benefit the people. While in Beijing, Trump focused on the heart of the U.S.-China relationship, our countries’ complex commercial ties that sustain millions of jobs on both sides of the Pacific. Trump noted, “This bond of commerce and respect that stretches back 250 years is the foundation for a future that benefits both of our nations.”