Schumer Leads Bipartisan Trip to China Amid Tensions
New York TimesOct 07, 2023
The Facts
A US Senate bipartisan delegation led by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met on Monday with the Chinese Pres. Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the state-run broadcaster CCTV reported, in a meeting that lasted about 80 minutes.
Schumer expressed his disappointment that the PRC had shown "no sympathy" for Israel following attacks by Hamas that killed hundreds of Israelis over the weekend, as Beijing only called for a two-state solution to end the violence. Chinese state media, however, avoided the topic.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
With the China trip by US lawmakers led by Senate Majority Leader Schumer, Washington is again showing its commitment to restoring US-China ties. Now, it's up to China to build on that momentum and rethink its unfair treatment of US companies. Moreover, the PRC's devastating fentanyl exports would be a unique opportunity for Beijing to likewise show its willingness to improve relations at a little political or economic cost.
Establishment-critical narrative
While Schumer criticizes China's alleged unfair economic practices, he fails to mention that the US has added 42 Chinese companies to its export control list. On fentanyl, Beijing has already taken several measures, and by smearing China, Washington is evading its own responsibility for the drug epidemic at home. The PRC welcomes any improvement in bilateral relations, but any overtures from the US must be based on sincerity.
Nerd narrative
There's a 20% chance that there will be a US-China war before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.