President Xi Jinping of Chinawill make a landmark commitment on Friday to start a national program in 2017 that will limit and put a price on greenhouse gas emissions, Obama administration officials said Thursday.

On September 22, 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping began a state visit to the U.S. Mr. Xi came at a critical moment, especially as recently there have been signs of emerging strategic rivalry in U.S.-China relations.

If Americans focus on Chinese activities in the South China Sea, cyberspace, and the currency markets during the upcoming state visit of President Xi Jinping to the United States, they will be mistaking the urgent for the important.

Sino-US relations have gone beyond bilateral scope and are showing increasing global significance. Reality calls for both sides to consider each other’s reasonable concerns, learn from each other, and push aside barriers to their collaboration as they pursue common goals and interests.

On balance, common interests outweigh differences, and President Xi Jinping’s visit to the US will give both sides a fresh opportunity to re-commit to cooperation, accommodate each other’s core interests, and manage differences to avoid disrupting bilateral relations.

If China can be nudged to align various policies to be more in line with U.S. interests in a way that allows China, too, to save face and claim its required victories at home, this summit will have been worthwhile, and better than having not met at all.

At a time when tensions between the two countries seem to be growing, Xi and Obama will likely use this meeting to reassure each other of their mutual commitment to stable, constructive bilateral engagement and explore avenues to manage disagreements such as the South China Sea and cybersecurity.

The state visit in Washington is a new chance for both sides to see the other differently, focusing on common achievements and respecting differences. To achieve that, the two presidents must reaffirm principles guiding the Sino-U.S. relationship and re-clarify their strategic intentions.

Seventy years ago, China and the U.S. fought side by side in World War II, and now have to work much more closely to provide public good for the world. Increasing cooperation on combating climate change was the most anticipated outcome of Xi Jinping’s state visit. Collaboration on clean technology, energy-sector reform, and energy security could contribute to the stability of the world’s economy and efforts in tackling climate change.

Washington and Beijing consistently send mixed messages about how they see the world, each other and, indeed, themselves.