China’s President Xi Jinping is slated to make his first formal state visit to the United States the week of September 21, making stops in three American cities: Seattle, Washington, DC, and New York. During his trip, he is scheduled to meet with President Barack Obama and other key government officials, United Nations delegates, and US business executives, including a USCBC-hosted dinner and policy speech in Seattle on September 22.

With President Xi Jinping scheduled to visit the United States in the fall, the pace is picking up for bilateral economic talks. Having completed two rounds of negotiations in Beijing during the past month and additional discussions in Washington, Chinese and American government officials are actively preparing for the seventh annual Strategic & Economic Dialogue (S&ED), set to take place in Washington, DC, in late June.

The US-China Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) negotiations, which aim to establish the rules of the road for cross-border investing, have the ambition to reach an agreement of unprecedented scope, although the prospects and timetable for completion remain uncertain.