Oct. 7 (UPI) — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, touched down in China on Saturday for diplomatic discussions with Communist Party leaders in Shanghai. Following their talks with the Shanghai leaders, they are expected to head to Beijing for a potential meeting with President Xi Jinping.
Schumer was joined by five other senators: Mike Crapo, R-Idaho; Bill Cassidy, R-La.; John Kennedy, R-La.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.
“We hope this visit will contribute to a more objective understanding of China in the U.S. Congress, increase dialogue and communication between the legislatures of our two countries, and add positive factors to the growth of China-US relations,” stated the Chinese foreign affairs ministry in a release welcoming the delegation.
Despite the warm welcome, state-run Chinese media downplayed the possibility of a meeting with President Xi.
This visit marks the first trip to mainland China by U.S. lawmakers since 2019. It follows several visits by Biden administration officials in an attempt to mend the strained relations between the two countries over the past year.
The senators’ itinerary includes visits to the facilities of American companies based in Shanghai. During these visits, Schumer and his colleagues plan to address concerns about unfair business practices, such as market access barriers, that harm U.S. companies operating in China.
“When we talk to American companies, they bring these issues up,” said Schumer during his meeting with Chen, the Shanghai Communist Party secretary. “We share those concerns, and they shape America’s perception of China.”
However, Schumer emphasized that the trip also aims to show Washington’s commitment to maintaining peaceful relations with Beijing, despite escalating tensions. “As the two largest economies in the world, it is in everyone’s interest that we get along,” Schumer stated during his meeting with Chen. “We are prepared to compete but do not seek conflict.”
In a pre-trip statement, Schumer called for an end to unfair trade practices between the United States and China, emphasizing the need for a level playing field and reciprocity in economic competition.
Chen, in turn, described the U.S.-China relationship as crucial to the global economy and highlighted the benefits of maintaining “healthy and stable” diplomacy between the two nations.
In addition to discussing trade, the senators focused on addressing the flow of Chinese chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, a synthetic drug whose trade has surged in Asia following the COVID-19 pandemic.
After concluding their visit to China, the senators plan to travel to Japan and South Korea before returning to Washington.
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