U.S. lawmakers push for military dialogue during rare China visit

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers pressed Beijing to broaden military-to-military dialogue during a rare weekend trip to China, meeting with Premier Li Qiang. The delegation arrived Sunday and is scheduled to stay through Thursday.

Led by Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, the group also includes Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, both Democrats on the committee, and Rep. Michael Baumgartner, a Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Li welcomed the delegates, calling the visit an "icebreaking trip that will further the ties between the two countries."

Smith, who chairs the committee, said the top line was broadening dialogue, but noted that trade and the economy remained on the agenda. "Certainly, trade and economy is on the top of the list ... (but also) we’re very focused on our military-to-military conversations," he said in opening remarks. "As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I’m deeply concerned that our two militaries don’t communicate more."

The lawmakers are in China through Thursday. In Beijing, the discussions come as U.S.-China relations have deteriorated since the early days of the Trump administration and have been strained over trade, Taiwan, Beijing's support for Russia, and China’s expansive claims in the disputed South China Sea.

China has emphasized the importance of continuing diplomacy and military exchanges. Li Qiang told the delegation that it was important for both nations to exchange views and cooperate where possible, and that the visit could help establish a more stable frame for cooperation amid global challenges. "China and the U.S. are the two most powerful and influential countries in the world, it’s really important that we get along, and we find a way to peacefully coexist in the world," he said.

Separately, former President Donald Trump said he would meet Xi Jinping at a regional summit at the end of October in South Korea and would visit China in the early part of next year, following a lengthy phone call between the two on Friday.

The trip highlights an ongoing U.S. effort to manage competitive pressures with Beijing while seeking to preserve channels for dialogue on security and other shared concerns.