Republican Senator Steve Daines, a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Sunday. This interaction marks the first time a US politician has visited China since Trump became president in January. Earlier this month, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged to fight the US in a potential “tariff war, trade war, or any other war.”
Daines, a Montana Republican, met with Li along with a group of seven American executives, following an annual business summit in the Chinese capital attended by high-profile foreign CEOs. Among those present were the CEOs of companies like Qualcomm, Pfizer, and Cargill, as well as executives from Boeing.
Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been actively involved in negotiations over US-China trade during Trump’s first term. He has made multiple trips to China as a senator and has lived and worked in Guangzhou and Hong Kong in the 1990s while employed by Proctor & Gamble.
Beijing has been attempting to attract foreign investment to counteract the US tariff pressure and address its slowing domestic economy. Relations between China and the US have become increasingly strained after Trump imposed additional tariffs on Chinese goods, accusing Beijing of inadequately addressing the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
In early April, Trump is expected to implement a round of tariffs on countries that tax US imports, potentially including China. The US will also conduct a review of whether China has met the promises made during the “phase one” trade deal from Trump’s first administration.
Li urged Daines to prioritize dialogue over confrontation, emphasizing the importance of win-win cooperation over zero-sum competition. The US executives were granted an audience with Li Qiang, although he is not scheduled to meet separately with other foreign CEOs at the China Development Forum for the second consecutive year.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/23/pro-trump-senator-chinese-premier-meeting-tariffs
