A delegation of U.S. lawmakers led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer arrived in China on Saturday in the first congressional visit to the country since 2019.

The trip comes amid a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries and as Chinese and American officials try to lay the groundwork for a possible meeting between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in November.

The delegation of six senators, which includes three Democrats and three Republicans, landed in Shanghai on a U.S. government jet on an overcast and windy afternoon. The Republicans were led by Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, the senior member of his party on the Senate Finance Committee.

Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat and Senate Majority Leader, expressed hope for a productive visit.

Since China lifted its COVID-19 restrictions in December of last year, no U.S. lawmakers have made the trip. However, a series of high-ranking Biden administration officials have met their Chinese counterparts in Beijing in recent months.

China has stated that it hopes this visit will contribute to a more objective understanding of China in the U.S. Congress.

Highlighting the ongoing tensions between the two countries, China’s commerce ministry criticized the new U.S. restrictions placed on 42 Chinese companies as “a typical act of economic coercion and unilateral bullying.”

On Friday, the U.S. Commerce Department added the Chinese companies and seven others to its entity list, citing their supply of “U.S.-origin” semiconductors used by Russia for missile guidance systems and drones in the war against Ukraine.

Chuck Schumer’s office has stated that the focus of his visit will be on trade reciprocity, American leadership in advanced technologies for national security, human rights, fentanyl production, China’s role in the international community, and potential areas for cooperation.

The senators hope that a successful visit could pave the way for a Biden-Xi summit during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting in San Francisco next month. They also aim to meet President Xi in Beijing during their visit.

Wang Yiwei, a Chinese international relations expert at Renmin University of China, believes that Schumer’s visit signifies an improvement in China-U.S. relations. He suggests that if the talks proceed well, there is a possibility of a meeting between President Xi and Schumer, increasing the chances for a Xi-Biden meeting.

The White House has expressed support for the delegation’s visit and has been in contact with Schumer’s office. After their stop in China, the senators will continue their visit in South Korea and Japan.