US lawmakers hold rare talks with Chinese defence minister

• US lawmakers believe there should be more frequent visits
• First House of Representatives visits Beijing in six years.
• Dong says visit to strengthen China-US communications.

A delegation of US lawmakers met with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun on Monday in the first House of Representatives visit to Beijing in six years, with talks aimed at bolstering exchanges including military-to-military communication.

The bipartisan delegation was led by Democratic US Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the current top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the US Defense Department and armed forces.

“We are the first delegation from the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and we feel strongly that there should be more frequent visits and more robust conversation,” Smith told Dong.

“We want to open up the lines of communication. And in particular around military matters,” Smith said, according to a pool report organised by the US embassy in Beijing.

Trip follows call between leaders

Dong said the visit marked a “good” phase in efforts to strengthen China-US communications, according to the pool report.

He urged the lawmakers to “eliminate interfering and restrictive factors and adopt constructive and pragmatic measures” to help improve military-to-military relations and bilateral ties, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reported.

The Chinese military is willing to build stable and positive military ties based on respect and peaceful coexistence, while safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, Dong was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

The trip followed a call on Friday between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping as they seek a way out of strained ties exacerbated by trade tensions, US curbs over semiconductor chips, the ownership of TikTok, Chinese activities in the South China Sea, and matters related to Taiwan.

The leaders agreed to further talks on the sidelines of a forum in South Korea at the end of October. Trump also said he would visit China early next year and that Xi would come to the US at a later date.

In a readout of the meeting issued in Washington, Smith said that the US delegation also discussed with Chinese officials the current status of economic negotiations and the impact that tariffs are having on bilateral trade, the need for China to help stem the flow of the deadly drug fentanyl to the US and the status of negotiations on the future of TikTok.

“The delegation discussed the issue of critical minerals and concerns with China’s actions to restrict the global supply and processing of rare earth minerals,” Smith said.

Smith said the delegation emphasised the need to increase dialogue and transparency between the two countries, especially at the military-to-military level, including stressing that the US seeks a peaceful resolution to the issue of Taiwan.

In a separate meeting between China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng and the visiting US lawmakers on Monday, He called on Beijing and Washington to “engage in candid communication, enhance trust and resolve doubts” to develop stable, healthy and sustainable trade and economic relations, according to Xinhua.

The US lawmakers were welcomed by Premier Li Qiang, China’s No.2 political leader, on Sunday.

The COVID-19 pandemic ended formal House visits in 2020, and relations rapidly unravelled due to intense debate over the origins of the coronavirus that spread all over the world.