On Beijing visit, American lawmakers push for more inter-military dialogue

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers pushed for more military-to-military dialogue in a meeting Sunday with China’s Premier Li Qiang, a rare congressional visit since the US-China relations soured. The last trip by a group of senators was in 2023, and Sunday’s delegation was the first from the House of Representatives to visit Beijing since 2019.

Li welcomed the delegates, led by Rep Adam Smith, and called it an “icebreaking trip that will further the ties between the two countries”.

“It is important for our two countries to have more exchanges and cooperation, this is not only good for our two countries but also of great significance to the world,” Li said.

Smith, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said both sides were in agreement on the overarching aim of the visit.

The delegation also included Ro Khanna and Chrissy Houlahan, both Democrats on the House Armed

Services Committee.