A bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives, led by Democrat Adam Smith, is set to visit China later this month, marking an important official outreach amid strained bilateral ties.
Smith, a US representative from the Washington state, is the former chair of the House Armed Services Committee and the current top Democrat on the panel. A committee staffer confirmed Smith’s plan to lead the delegation to China but could not provide other details.
NBC News first reported the planned trip, citing an interview with Smith. The exact timing of the trip was not immediately clear.
Smith told NBC News that both Democratic and Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee would participate in the trip, but its chair, Republican US Representative Mike Rogers, would not be a part of the delegation.
Strained Ties
The trip will take place during strained ties between Washington and Beijing over issues like trade tariffs, technology, cybersecurity, the ownership of TikTok, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and policies related to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Beijing and Washington agreed on August 11 to extend their tariff truce for another 90 days, locking in place US levies of 30% on Chinese imports and 10% Chinese duties on US goods, but appear to be struggling to chart a path beyond the current pause.
‘We Need To Talk’
“It’s part of wanting to try to open up a dialogue between the US and China. And I personally think it’s important that you do that,” Smith told NBC News in an interview.
“Merely talking with China is not endorsing everything that they do. It’s like China is a big, powerful country. We are a big, powerful country. I think we need to talk about that,” he said.
Asked if the lawmakers would meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Smith told the media outlet: “We’re asking. We don’t know yet.”
Last week, Xi warned that the world was facing a choice between peace or war at a massive military parade in Beijing, flanked by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a show of force.
(With inputs from Reuters)
