US lawmakers push for military dialogue in a rare visit to Beijing

BANGKOK: A bipartisan group of US lawmakers pushed for more military-to-military dialogue in a meeting Sunday with China's Premier Li Qiang, a rare congressional visit since the US-China relations soured. The last trip by a group of senators was in 2023, and Sunday's delegation was the first from House of Representatives to visit Beijing since 2019.

Li welcomed the delegates led by Rep. Adam Smith and called it an "icebreaking trip that will further the ties between the two countries." "It is important for our two countries to have more exchanges and cooperation, this is not only good for our two countries but also of great significance to the world," Li said.

Smith, a Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said both sides were in agreement on the overarching aim of the visit. "Certainly, trade and economy is on the top of the list ... (but also) we're very focused on our military-to-military conversations," he said in opening remarks. "I'm deeply concerned that our two militaries don't communicate more."

The delegation also included Michael Baumgartner, a Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Ro Khanna and Chrissy Houlahan, both Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee. AP