A US lawmaker in China says there's 'a lot of work to do' to resolve trade conflict

Key Points

• The head of a U.S. congressional delegation, Rep. Adam Smith, emphasized the need for significant efforts to resolve the ongoing U.S.-China trade conflict that impacts companies in both nations.
• Despite the trade tensions, Smith noted that there is still a considerable amount of business activity occurring between the U.S. and China.
• The delegation's trip aimed to enhance communication, particularly stressing the importance of dialogue between the U.S. and Chinese militaries, given their status as two major nuclear powers.
• This marks the first House of Representatives delegation visit to China since 2019, reflecting a potential shift in U.S.-China relations following recent political tensions.

SHANGHAI (AP) — The head of a U.S. congressional delegation visiting China said Thursday that much need to be done to resolve the U.S.-China trade conflict, which he said is creating difficulties for companies on both sides of the Pacific.

His biggest takeaway was that a lot of business is going on between the two economies despite the trade war, Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington state, said on the final day of a five-day trip.

“We have a lot of work to do to resolve those issues, but China, the U.S. and the world can benefit from resolving some of our differences and working better together,” he told journalists after a meeting with the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

The group of three Democrats — Smith and Reps. Ro Khanna and Chrissy Houlahan — and Republican Rep. Michael Baumgartner could be seen having a coffee at a Starbucks in an office building lobby after their meeting with the Chamber.

The Democrats are all members of the House Armed Services Committee, and Smith repeated his call from the outset of the trip for more communication between the U.S. and Chinese militaries.

"Two of the largest nuclear powers in the world need to be talking to each other, particularly considering the fact that we do have some disagreements,” he said.

The lawmakers arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday after three days of meetings with Chinese political leaders in Beijing including Premier Li Qiang, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun.

Smith said the main purpose of trip was to open up lines of communication between the governments. Theirs was the first by a delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019. A U.S. Senate delegation visited in 2023.

U.S. President Donald Trump said recently that he would meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a regional summit in South Korea in late October and visit China in the early next year. China has not confirmed the meetings.