U.S. lawmakers led by Senate Majority Leader Schumer arrive in China on first such visit since 2019
Oct 7, 2023
A delegation of U.S. lawmakers led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has arrived in China on Saturday in the first congressional visit to the country since 2019
SHANGHAI (AP) — 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 in the mid-afternoon. The Republicans were led by Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, the senior member of his party on the Senate Finance Committee. Schumer is a New York Democrat.
A series of high-ranking Biden administration officials have met their Chinese counterparts in Beijing in recent months, but no other U.S lawmakers have made the trip since China lifted its COVID-19 restrictions in December of last year.
China said in a statement earlier this week that it hoped the visit would “contribute to a more objective understanding of China in the U.S. Congress.”
Schumer's office said he would focus on the need for reciprocity from China for U.S. business in trade and on maintaining American leadership in advanced technologies for national security. He also hopes to discuss human rights,
fentanyl production
, and China's role in the international community, as well as areas for potential cooperation.A smooth visit could help pave the way for a Biden-Xi summit during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders meeting in San Francisco next month. The senators hope to meet Xi in Beijing during their visit.
A Chinese international relations expert said that Schumer's visit is a sign of improvement in China-U.S. relations.
“If the talks proceed well, there is the possibility that President Xi will meet Schumer,” said Wang Yiwei, the director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China. “If their meeting is realized, the chances for a Xi-Biden meeting will become greater.”
The White House has been in touch with Schumer and supports the delegation's visit to the region, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said after the trip was announced. The senators will go to South Korea and Japan after their stop in China.
MORE NEWS
Even UFC champ Zhang Weili under pressure to find boyfriend from pushy Chinese parents
Even Asia’s first UFC world champion, Zhang Weili, cannot escape the pressure of Chinese parents pushing her to get married. A year ago, Zhang, now 37, said she was glad her family was not rushing her to marry, preferring to focus on her fighting career and leave relationships to fate. But in an interview posted on social media this week, Zhang revealed her parents grew deeply concerned about her love life during the first half of the year, saying they were “pushing really hard”. In the...
Inside the PLA’s new austerity drive: lean, mean, printing-on-both-sides machine
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is distributing second-hand briefcases, salvaging screws and steel bars, and reusing holiday decorations to keep costs down as part of a thrift campaign emphasising growth through frugality. It forms part of a broader cost-cutting effort in the Chinese military under Beijing’s 15th five-year plan covering 2026 to 2030, which calls for building the armed forces through “diligence and thrift” and pursuing a path of “high efficiency, low cost and...
Chinese scholars warned of challenge of ‘translating academic research into policy’
Chinese academic courses designed to deepen understanding of different countries or regions face a challenge in better informing policy and moving beyond frameworks developed in the West, a conference in Beijing has heard. Speakers said that as the country’s international engagement deepened, it needed a better understanding of the nations it engaged with, including their political systems, histories and strategic priorities. The discipline – known in China as “area studies” – draws on...
Chinese scientists dissatisfied with jobs but optimistic about future, survey says
Chinese scientists are less satisfied with their jobs than researchers in any other major country, according to a survey that also found they are more optimistic about their careers than their counterparts in the United States and Britain. Only 51 per cent of the 157 respondents from China said they were satisfied with their jobs, according to the survey published this month in the British scientific journal Nature, down 24 per cent from 2018. The survey drew 3,882 respondents from 133...
In Michigan Senate race, Trump’s softer China tone gives candidates room to look elsewhere
Two years ago, Mike Rogers stood before the Republican National Convention and warned that it was “impossible to build an EV without getting into bed with the Communist Party of China”. The former US House Intelligence Committee chairman made opposition to Chinese investment a prominent theme of his 2024 Senate bid in Michigan, which he narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin. Now, as Rogers runs again, US President Donald Trump’s softer approach towards Beijing has given candidates more room...
Asian Champions Trophy: Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh Star As India Outclass China 5-2
Harmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh struck two goals each as India defeated China 5-2 to make it two victories in two games at the Asian Champions Trophy.
Teen Star Anmol Kharb Shocks Christophersen; Sindhu, Lakshya March On At Hylo Open
Anmol Kharb continued her dream run at the Hylo Open with a brilliant comeback victory over world No. 12 Line Christophersen to reach the quarter-finals.
Could Madih Talal Follow Ryan Williams' Path To India? 'For Me, If They Want, They Can...'
French-Moroccan midfielder Madih Talal hasn't ruled out representing India one day, saying that he is willing to talk if approached.
US bans Chinese labs from testing electronics ahead of Trump-Xi meeting
The United States on Thursday banned all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices destined for the US market, just weeks before US President Donald Trump is due to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to bar testing laboratories and certification bodies in China and other economies that lack a “mutual recognition agreement” or reciprocal trade agreement with the...
Cristiano Ronaldo Sends Classy Message After Edging Lionel Messi In BOAT Vote
Cristiano Ronaldo thanked fans worldwide after his 2008 Manchester United season was voted the greatest Ballon d'Or-winning campaign of all time.
China tests powerful AI that could one day be used on submarines
China has showcased artificial intelligence (AI) technology alongside 7,000-metre (23,000-feet) deep-sea trials of its upgraded Jiaolong submersible, highlighting the potential for similar systems to support decision-making and emergency responses aboard nuclear-powered submarines. The Chinese crewed submersible reached a maximum depth of 7,056.9 metres during three dives in the Philippine Basin in the western Pacific Ocean, according to state news agency Xinhua on October 27. The trials...
New images suggest China’s fourth aircraft carrier could launch in 2027, analysts say
China’s fourth aircraft carrier, widely believed to be the country’s first with a nuclear-powered system, could launch as early as next year, according to US researchers, as Beijing pursues a fleet capable of projecting naval and air power far beyond its shores. A launch in 2027 would coincide with the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army, with the anniversary falling on August 1. Beijing has previously used major military anniversaries to showcase developments in its armed forces. The...