WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday said he had made clear to Chinese President Xi Jinping during a Beijing meeting that the United States wanted stability and fairness in bilateral trade.
Schumer was part of a visiting U.S. bipartisan congressional delegation that aimed to advance U.S. economic and national security interests before a potential meeting between Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden next month.
“At the foundation of our relationship must be a level playing field for American businesses and workers as well as responsible competition. We need reciprocity,” he said, describing Monday’s conversation with Xi and other senior Chinese officials as “honest, but productive”.
The United States and China are at odds over Taiwan, trade, human rights and other issues. Biden has taken steps to restrict China’s access to sensitive U.S. technology while at the same time seeking to keep communication channels open.
“Our delegation made clear that America is not seeking a confrontation with China, but we will remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting stability in the region, freedom, and democratic principles,” Schumer said in a statement.
Schumer also said he had also pressed Xi on the need for China to take more aggressive steps to stop the export of the deadly drug fentanyl.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey and David Ljunggren; Editing by Doina Chiacu)