Bipartisan senators urge Beijing stability before Trump-Xi meeting

A bipartisan delegation of five U.S. senators pressed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for steadier ties in Beijing, with Steve Daines saying, “We want to de-escalate, not decouple. We want stability, we want mutual respect.” The Montana Republican’s message was aimed at lowering the temperature before Donald Trump meets Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14 and 15.

Daines framed the talks as practical diplomacy rather than a reset of the broader rivalry. He said the United States and China together make up 40 percent of the world economy, a reminder that the two countries still shape global trade, manufacturing and investment even as they clash over tariffs, technology controls and supply chains. He also said this was his seventh trip to China since being elected to Congress, giving him unusual familiarity with the rhythms of Beijing engagement.

The delegation planned visits to tech businesses in Shanghai and Beijing, underscoring where the relationship still has leverage. Trade and industrial policy remain central, and Daines raised the prospect that a leaders’ meeting could produce Boeing jet orders, a sign that aircraft sales still sit inside the diplomatic bargain. Bloomberg also reported that Daines thanked Wang for China’s role in urging Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, showing that the conversation reached beyond commerce into energy security and regional crisis management.

The timing mattered as much as the substance. Trump’s summit with Xi was announced for May 14-15 in Beijing after being rescheduled, and a later reciprocal Xi visit to Washington is planned for later in the year. The senators’ trip came as Washington and Beijing remain at odds on strategic competition, but the meeting also reflected a narrow shared interest in keeping direct communication alive.

That approach echoed a September 2025 bipartisan House delegation led by Adam Smith, which focused in part on improving military-to-military communication. China described that visit as an “ice-breaking journey,” a phrase that captured the limited but still valuable space both governments have tried to preserve. In Beijing, the senators were making the same basic case: rivalry is deep, but some channels are still worth keeping open.