US President Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, the first visit to China by a US president in nine years, has sparked enthusiasm among Chinese Americans, who view the meeting between the two heads of state as an important moment for dialogue, cooperation, and understanding between the two countries.

During the visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump are expected to have in-depth discussions on major issues, including China-US relations, world peace and international development.

"I'm excited at this opportunity for President Trump to go to China and visit President Xi," Phillip Chen, a California Assembly member, told China Daily. "I believe that this world right now is a very large village, and that the relationship between China and the United States will continue to blossom."

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"I personally think that as it stands right now, we've been cooperating for many, many years. We have to make sure that we work closely together to make sure that our mutual interests are served sufficiently," he said, adding that he hoped the meeting would help open up opportunities for more exchanges and cooperation.

William Zhang, a San Francisco-based community leader and an ardent advocate for peaceful cross-Strait relations, called the meeting "a long-awaited conversation between the two heads of state".

"President Trump will hopefully learn firsthand how much importance the Chinese government places on the peaceful reunification of the nation," he said, adding that Washington should uphold the one-China principle. "It is a prerequisite for the stable and healthy development of China-US relations," Zhang said.

Lei Wang, a Chinese culture advocate in Southern California, sees the leaders' meeting as an opportunity to promote and expand understanding of Chinese culture at the federal level.

"This is a good thing. There's a popular song in China right now called Better to Meet in Person and I believe that a meeting between the two countries' leaders will help deepen mutual understanding," he told China Daily.

Wang, also a small-business owner, said he hoped the meeting would help promote business interaction, trade activities and business investment between the two countries.

California, located on the Pacific coast, is an important gateway for Chinese goods entering the US, said Wang. "If China-US relations aren't good and trade relations don't flow smoothly, it will seriously affect California's foreign trade, imports and exports, which in turn affects many people's employment and how businesses operate."

"We need the trade to continue to support the employment and the society here in the US," Wang said."Therefore, I really hope that both sides can deepen understanding in trade and economic relations, reach consensus, and push the relationship toward a more positive and stable direction."

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Despite differences and frictions that have marked bilateral relations, Hu Lirong, CEO of CW Bearing USA, expressed confidence in dialogue between the presidents.

"These are challenges that can ultimately be worked through under the leadership of the two countries' leaders," he told China Daily.

Hu said the company has focused on localized operations, creating jobs for the community, with young employees accounting for about 30 percent of its workforce. He added that the company places strong emphasis on technical expertise and cross-cultural communication.

Chang Jun in San Francisco and Li Mingmei in New York contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at liazhu@chinadailyusa.com