BEIJING (AP) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized the importance of dialogue over confrontation during a meeting with U.S. Senator Steve Daines on Sunday. This meeting took place amidst escalating tensions between China and the United States over trade tariffs and efforts to combat the illegal fentanyl trade. Daines, a notable supporter of former President Donald Trump, is the first member of Congress to visit Beijing since Trump took office in January 2017.
Accompanying Daines were the leaders of several prominent American businesses, including FedEx Corp. CEO Raj Subramaniam, Boeing Co.'s senior vice president Brendan Nelson, Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano Amon, and Pfizer's CEO Albert Bourla. During the discussions, Premier Li highlighted that relations between the two nations are at a critical juncture, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping had previously expressed hope for mutual success during a January call with Trump.
Premier Li stated, "History tells us that China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation. Our two sides need to choose dialogue over confrontation, win-win cooperation over zero-sum competition." He expressed China's desire for the U.S. to collaborate in fostering stable and sustainable development in their bilateral relations.
Senator Daines, who served as an intermediary during the first Trump administration when tariffs became a significant issue, has aligned his trip with the "America First" agenda of Trump. Since his arrival in Beijing on Thursday, Daines has engaged with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, stressing Trump's ongoing demands for China to cease the export of fentanyl precursors. He also met with Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu during his visit.
Relations between the United States and China have soured significantly just months into Trump’s second term, marked by Washington imposing a 20% tariff on Chinese imports and Beijing retaliating with 15% duties on U.S. agricultural products. Trump has indicated plans for imposing "reciprocal" tariffs to align U.S. duties with those charged by other countries on imports, citing fairness as the rationale behind this approach. An announcement regarding the reciprocal tariffs is anticipated on April 2.
At the China Development Forum earlier that day, Li remarked that the Chinese economy may face unexpected shocks due to external factors and indicated that the government would implement new policies as necessary to ensure the local economy's smooth operation. The forum, which invites high-ranking officials and business leaders, serves as a platform for discussing China's economic strategies.
Li stated that amid increasing economic fragmentation and instability, it is crucial for countries to keep their markets open, urging entrepreneurs to actively support economic globalization. He added, "We are not against competition, but we should advocate for fair competition under internationally recognized rules, rather than zero-sum games or deliberate suppression of vicious competition by other countries."
The United States has criticized China for not taking sufficient action to prevent the export of precursor materials used in fentanyl production, which is associated with numerous overdose deaths in the U.S. In response, Beijing released a report detailing its efforts to control the illegal fentanyl trade, affirming its commitment to cooperation while opposing the imposition of unreasonable pressure from the U.S. regarding fentanyl-related issues.
