US lawmaker says there’s ‘a lot of work to do’ to resolve trade conflict during China visit

SHANGHAI — A U.S. congressional delegation visiting China said Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, that much work remains to resolve the U.S.-China trade conflict, a dispute they said is creating difficulties for companies on both sides of the Pacific. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the head of the group, said a lot of business is ongoing despite the tensions, and that there is a path toward mutual benefit if differences can be bridged. “We have a lot of work to do to resolve those issues, but China, the U.S. and the world can benefit from resolving some of our differences and working better together,” Smith told journalists after a meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

The delegation — three Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee, Smith, Rep. Ro Khanna of California and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Washington — arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday after three days of meetings with Chinese political leaders in Beijing, including Premier Li Qiang, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun. Smith said the main purpose of the trip was to open lines of communication between the two governments. The lawmakers, the first U.S. House delegation to visit since 2019, stressed that engagement is essential for reducing misunderstandings and enabling more predictable trade policies, even as they acknowledge persistent irritants such as tariffs and export controls. They were seen in a Shanghai lobby after the Chamber meeting, with coffee in a Starbucks, underscoring the ongoing, sometimes informal exchanges that accompany official diplomacy.

The group’s conversations to date have emphasized the need for greater military-to-military dialogue, a point Smith has raised from the outset of the trip alongside calls for direct communication channels to avoid miscalculation in times of tension. “Two of the largest nuclear powers in the world need to be talking to each other, particularly considering the fact that we do have some disagreements,” Smith said. The representatives said their aim is to keep the door open for frequent, structured contacts at multiple levels, including between the U.S. and Chinese militaries. In Shanghai, they also held meetings with business groups and chambers of commerce to hear about the real-world impact of trade frictions on firms operating in both markets.

The delegation comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has touted plans to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a regional summit in South Korea in late October and to visit China early next year, though Beijing has not confirmed any such meetings. The lack of confirmation underscores the fragility and complexity of diplomatic outreach amid an ongoing trade dispute that has included tariffs, supply-chain disruptions and policy shifts affecting technology transfers. Observers say the high-level talks are aimed at rebuilding lines of communication, with a focus on reducing unpredictability in trade policy for businesses, even if substantive policy changes are not immediately forthcoming.

Analysts say the trip signals a willingness by some members of Congress to engage with Beijing despite political and ideological headwinds at home, including bipartisan support for tougher trade policy toward China on issues ranging from tariffs to technology restrictions. The delegation’s schedule reflects a broader approach to dialog that combines diplomacy with economic outreach and provides a window into how U.S. lawmakers view China’s responses to American concerns and how Beijing views U.S. demands for reform in trade practice and market access. The five-day visit to Beijing and Shanghai follows the long-running pattern of U.S. congressional diplomacy with China, underscoring that dialogue remains a central, if challenging, channel for addressing trade frictions.

The trip is the first by a U.S. House delegation since 2019; a U.S. Senate delegation visited in 2023.