BEIJING (Reuters) -A delegation of U.S. 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 U.S. Representative Adam Smith, the current top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee that oversees the U.S. 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 U.S. embassy in Beijing.
Dong said the visit marked a “good” phase in efforts to strengthen China-U.S. communications.
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, U.S. 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 U.S. at a later date.
Earlier this month, Dong held his first formal call with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who stressed that the United States does not seek conflict with China.
On Sunday, the U.S. lawmakers were welcomed by Premier Li Qiang, China’s No.2 political leader, at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing. Li told Smith that the “ice-breaking” trip will further bilateral ties.
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 had spread all over the world.
(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Ros Russell)
