Senate Democrats’ Statement on President Trump and President Xi’s Summit in Washington – Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (.gov)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV)—all Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—along with Dick Durbin (D-IL), Democratic Whip and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Peter Welch (D-VT), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) released the following statement on President Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.
“Diplomacy with China remains vital to preventing conflict and protecting American interests, but it must ultimately produce results for hardworking Americans. President Trump’s summit today with President Xi Jinping failed to deliver. This outcome was predictable: Over the past 19 months, President Trump has systematically hollowed out the foundations of American competitiveness. The Trump Administration has traded away long-term technological dominance for short-term commercial gains, decimated the scientific and talent ecosystem that drives our domestic innovation and inflicted lasting damage on the network of global alliances that keep Americans safe, prosperous and free.
“At a time when Americans are struggling with rising costs of gas, electricity and groceries, President Trump rolled out the red carpet for Xi. Rather than confronting China’s unfair trade practices, technology theft, complicity in attacks against our troops or economic and military aggression against our allies, President Trump opted for pageantry over purpose—trading tough diplomacy for a ballroom tour and a lavish dinner with his billionaire friends.
“On the economic and security issues that will shape America’s future, this summit’s results fell short:
“The American people deserve leaders who fight for their financial security and defend our national interests with purpose and measured strategy, not pageantry. We will compete successfully with China only through sustained investment in our own strengths, close coordination with allies and an unwavering defense of our democratic values. As we saw in May, this summit gave President Xi an international stage to project strength without a meaningful change in Beijing’s coercive economic practices or its support for our adversaries.”

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423 Dirksen Senate Office Building · Washington, DC, 20510
(202) 224-4651 · Web_Inquiry@foreign.senate.gov

423 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC, 20510
(202) 224-4651
Web_Inquiry@foreign.senate.gov

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