Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), a supporter of President Trump, met Saturday with China’s economic chief, Vice Premier He Lifeng in Beijing. This was the first visit by a U.S. politician to China since Trump’s return to the White House amid tensions between the two countries over trade tariffs.
“Senator Daines welcomed today’s meeting with Vice Premier He Lifeng. The Senator expressed President Trump’s continued demand that China interdict the flow of fentanyl precursors out of the country and expressed the hope that the United States and China can hold further high-level dialogue in the near future,” said a statement the lawmaker shared on the social platform X.
The Montana Republican landed in the Chinese capital on Thursday following discussions with key leaders in Vietnam, as indicated by his social media updates and those from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
Before the trip, his office announced that he was collaborating closely with the White House and promoting President Trump’s America First agenda.
Daines, who has experience as an executive in China, acted as a liaison during Trump’s initial term when tariffs were a significant concern.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China welcomed Daines and believed “that the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations is in the common interest of the two peoples and in line with the general expectations of the international community.”
Tensions between the U.S. and China have escalated following the U.S. implementation of a 20 percent tariff on Chinese products, which led China to respond with a 15 percent tariff on American agricultural goods last week.
The U.S. criticizes China for not taking sufficient action to curb the export of precursor materials for fentanyl, a powerful opioid linked to tens of thousands of deaths in the country.
The Associated Press contributed.
