If Democrats take power in Washington, the wind for U.S. relations with China will likely start blowing in a much more favorable direction. China should trim its sails and seize the opportunity.

The choice is clear: China and the United States can either find ways to make things tolerable or simply capitulated to ever-worsening relations and consequences that go beyond our imagination at the moment.

Innovation and further opening-up are the antidote to technological suppression by the United States. The difficulties it imposes are real, but they are temporary and surmountable. They only inspire us.

As the last stretch of the 2020 presidential election unfolds, how each candidate approaches the China issue remains key to securing the presidency.

American hawks will not be able to overturn the foundation of China-U.S. relations that was built in the Nixon era. But it takes two to tango, and success will not depend on China’s willingness alone.

There is no bilateral diplomatic relationship more consequential than the one between the United States and China, which affects not only the two countries but all of humanity. And now, the future of this relationship hinges on who will lead each country in the years ahead.

China’s steady hand seems to have won the respect of the Trump administration and encouraged it to stay on track with the phase one trade deal. The talks on Aug. 25 were a rare positive note in overall relations between the two nations.

The future of Sino-American ties will be determined by who wins in the upcoming U.S. Presidential elections. With only a few months left on the clock, the Trump administration will make great efforts to complete its unfinished business on China.

If polls are any indication, the U.S. president’s chances for re-election may appear dim as the race enters its final stage. But voters often do not reveal their true feelings in polls. What will it be like if he wins? Expect “America first” on steroids.

Arresting the slide in relations between China and the United States and then returning to normal cannot be achieved by the positive efforts of China alone. The presidential campaign complicates matters for the U.S., but it needs to participate regardless who is elected.