A delegation of U.S. senators on an official visit to Beijing urged that relations between the United States and China remain steady and cooperative as the two nations prepare for a high-level meeting next week.
In opening remarks at a session with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Senator Steve Daines, who led the bipartisan group, framed the delegation's objective in stark terms: a preference for reduced tensions rather than separation. "I strongly believe that we want to de-escalate, not decouple. We want stability, we want mutual respect," he said.
The senators' visit comes roughly one week before U.S. President Donald Trump is due to travel to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15. The timing of the delegation's comments highlights a desire among some U.S. lawmakers to shape expectations ahead of the bilateral summit.
During the meeting, Senator Daines expressed a specific commercial hope tied to the leaders' talks. He said he would like to see the summit deliver orders for Boeing aircraft, noting the absence of Boeing purchases in China for some years. "It’s been about nine years since there was a purchase made of Boeing aircraft here," he said, according to a media pool report.
At the same time, Daines cautioned that trade-related challenges persist for both countries. His remarks combined a call for diplomatic calm with a recognition of ongoing economic and trade matters that remain on the agenda.
The delegation's statements were delivered in the formal setting of a meeting with China's foreign minister and reflect a bipartisan approach to signaling priorities ahead of the leaders' scheduled encounter in mid-May. Beyond the expressed commercial interest in aircraft sales, the senators emphasized the broader goals of mutual respect and stability in U.S.-China relations.
Context limitations: The discussion and quotes here reflect remarks made by the senator and the scheduling of the presidential meeting; no outcomes from the leaders' discussions are reported.