Visit by US lawmakers expands dialogue

A series of high-level engagements in the past three days between Chinese leaders and US lawmakers from the House of Representatives have widely been described by analysts as a "positive start" aimed at rebuilding trust and expanding institutional dialogue across politics, economics and defense.

The trip, led by US Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, is the first delegation of House lawmakers to visit China since 2019.

It also came just two days after a phone call between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, which was described as pragmatic, positive and constructive, and during which the two heads of state sought a course out of a period of strained ties.

The delegation met separately with Premier Li Qiang, top legislator Zhao Leji, Vice-Premier He Lifeng, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun during their stay in Beijing.

During their meeting on Tuesday, Zhao, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, said the NPC is willing to strengthen exchanges with the US Congress.

Zhao said the NPC is ready to facilitate more interactions and visits to play a constructive role in promoting the development of bilateral ties. He welcomed more US lawmakers to visit and see China for themselves.

Speaking at a news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, Smith said the delegation's goal was to "open up the lines of communication". He underscored the global importance of the relationship: "Our relationship is going to be the most consequential relationship in terms of what the world is going to be like for decades to come."

Acknowledging differences, Smith said disagreements were natural but required mechanisms to manage them. "Everybody has disagreements. You have to set up mechanisms for being able to talk about those disagreements, and resolve them the most reasonable way possible," he said.

Analysts said the delegation's trip demonstrates that direct contact and dialogue between the US Congress and China are not something unimaginable, and the visit represents significant progress in stabilizing ties with far-reaching global implications. The trip has also raised global expectations for China and the US to step up strategic communication and provide greater certainty to the world, they added.

Lyu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the visit is a "positive start", noting that institutionalized dialogue between legislatures serves the interests of both nations.

"Broader engagement with various Chinese senior officials can help US lawmakers gain a more objective and comprehensive understanding of China, bring back the country's real voice to Washington, and add positive factors to the relationship while reducing negative ones," he added.

Li Haidong, a professor of US studies at China Foreign Affairs University, said the delegation's visit, part of the overall improvement in China-US communication and exchange, once again "underscores the irreplaceable strategic leadership "of the two heads of state in guiding the development of China-US relations.

A stable China-US relationship not only serves the fundamental interests of both countries but also meets the expectations of the international community, Li said.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn