On Sunday (March 23), US Senator and staunch supporter of President Trump, Steve Daines, held a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing. The meeting took place amidst the escalating trade tensions between the United States and China.
Daines met with Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday. Accompanying Daines were seven executives from American companies, including Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, Brian Sikes, CEO of Cargill, and Brendan Nelson, Senior Vice President of Boeing.
Other Chinese officials present at the meeting included Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Chaoxu, and Director of the National Development and Reform Commission Zheng Zhajie.
In his opening remarks, Daines stated that the meeting on Sunday provided the US side with a direct opportunity to express their views on the Chinese business environment to Li Keqiang.
According to a report from Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency, Li Keqiang emphasized during the meeting that “currently, the development of US-China relations has come to a new crucial point.” He stressed that both sides should “choose dialogue over confrontation” and noted that economic and trade cooperation is an important foundation of US-China relations, stating that there are no winners in a trade war.
In recent years, the Chinese economy has been impacted by a real estate crisis, weak domestic consumption, and overcapacity, leading the Chinese government to rely on exports for economic growth. Since President Trump took office in January, the US has imposed a total of 20% tariffs on Chinese goods due to China’s failure to prevent fentanyl from entering the US. In response, China has retaliated by imposing tariffs on some American goods, sparking a new round of trade war.
Daines is a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. During President Trump’s first term, he actively participated in US-China trade negotiations and visited China multiple times as a senator. Daines’ visit to China at this time, amidst tense US-China trade relations, makes him the first US senator to visit China since President Trump took office in January.
It is expected that President Trump may continue to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods. He plans to begin imposing equal tariffs on global trading partners starting on April 2, which is likely to include China. Furthermore, the Trump administration will complete a review on April 1 regarding whether China has fulfilled its commitments under the Phase One trade agreement reached during Trump’s first term. If the review shows that China has not fulfilled its promises, Trump is likely to implement further punitive measures.
The day before meeting with Li Keqiang, Daines also met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. According to a statement released by the US side after the meeting, Daines reiterated to the Chinese side that President Trump continues to urge Beijing to stop the flow of Chinese fentanyl precursors into the US and expressed hopes for further high-level talks between the US and China in the near future.
Earlier on Sunday, Li Keqiang, speaking at the China Development High-Level Forum attended by foreign executives, stated that China may face unexpected challenges, mainly from external factors.