BEIJING – U.S. Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to the People’s Republic of China that includes U.S. Representatives Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.).

On the delegation’s second day in Beijing, they participated in briefings at the U.S. Embassy led by Ambassador David Perdue and had productive dialogues with HE Lifeng, Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, and DONG Jun, the Minister of Defense of the People’s Republic of China. 

During the meeting with Vice Premier HE Lifeng, the delegation discussed the current status of economic negotiations and the impact that tariffs are having on bilateral trade. The delegation emphasized the need to see meaningful actions by China to help stem the flow of fentanyl to the U.S. and reduce non-tariff barriers to U.S. companies seeking to do business in China. The delegation discussed their desire to see improved dialogue between the two countries. The delegation discussed the issue of critical minerals and concerns with China’s actions to restrict the global supply and processing of rare earth minerals. Finally, the delegation discussed the status of negotiations between the two governments over the future of TikTok. 

During the meeting with Minister DONG Jun, the delegation emphasized the need to increase dialogue and transparency between the two countries, especially at the military-to-military level, and stressed that dialogue is even more important when there are disagreements in order to avoid miscalculation and conflict. The delegation emphasized that the U.S. military’s presence in the region for the last 80 years has focused on maintaining peace and stability on a host of issues, such as the Korean Peninsula, and should not be construed as a threat to China. The delegation emphasized the U.S. adherence to the One China Policy and that we seek a peaceful resolution to the issue of Taiwan. The delegation emphasized that conflict between the U.S. and China should not be inevitable and that more candid dialogue between both countries is essential to working through our differences.

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