By Bill Gertz (The Washington Times)
The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee does not share President Trump’s enthusiasm for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit this week.
Sen. Roger F. Wicker took to the Senate floor to announce that if he had been asked, Mr. Xi would not have been invited or given the planned, grandiose state visit culminating in a White House banquet set for Thursday.
The chairman then outlined a number of issues he wants Mr. Trump to raise with the Chinese Communist Party leader at the dinner, including a response to reports that China supplied Iran with intelligence that led to the deaths of Americans in the Middle East, and about Beijing’s “massive” military buildup.
“This summer, it was all over the press that China gave Iran satellite imagery intelligence, and that intelligence led to the death of American troops,” the Mississippi Republican said.
“So I would certainly suggest that the president try to get an answer to that.”
Mr. Wicker said Mr. Trump will correctly discuss trade and artificial intelligence with Mr. Xi and “perhaps some progress will be made.”
“But, Mr. President, during every minute of dialogue, our commander in chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors, and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America,” Mr. Wicker said in the floor remarks referring to the presiding Senate officer as Mr. President.
Mr. Trump has been relatively quiet about the summit and dinner but in the past has praised his close relationship with Mr. Xi.
“We’re going to talk about a lot. It’s going to be a great meeting. And we’re going to have a look — we have a very good relationship,” he said Tuesday in New York. “Look, he likes China. I like the U.S. He loves China. I love the U.S. That’s the way it is.”
Mr. Wicker urged the president to raise the issue of the repression of millions of the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs languishing in concentration camps in western Xinjiang.
“I hope our president will take this visit as an opportunity to advocate for the Uyghur people. The fact that they remain in prison by the millions is a grave injustice and a reminder of Xi Jinping’s many human rights abuses,” he said, adding that continued repression of all unofficial Christian and other religious groups in China also should be raised.
On Japan, Mr. Wicker said Mr. Xi should be confronted by what he said is open coercion against key U.S. allies Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.
“The Chinese dictator works hard to intimidate America’s allies in the East China Sea, the Taiwan Straits, and the Second Thomas Shoal,” he said. The shoal is a disputed island in the South China Sea. Both China and the Philippines claim the shoal.
During the May summit in Beijing, Mr. Trump advocated in support of imprisoned Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, who he said has been locked in solitary confinement for the crime of “speaking freely in Hong Kong,” Mr. Wicker said, adding that the president should again demand Mr. Lai’s release.
Chinese navy and coast guard harassment of Philippine fishermen and sailors and other abuses of neighboring states also should be a topic of dinner discussion, along with Beijing’s interference in the internal affairs of other nations.
Another issue that needs to be addressed is China’s exploitation of nations in Africa and Latin America using “debt trap diplomacy” and election meddling, he said.
“And while the service is switching from chardonnay to Cabernet at the fancy state dinner, perhaps the president could turn to Xi’s so-called reunification of China with Taiwan,” he said.
Mr. Wicker said Mr. Trump should press the Chinese leader on whether he plans to turn the freely elected government in Taiwan into Hong Kong that lost its freedom after mainland communist controls were imposed.
Asked about the senator’s comments, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the idea that the U.S. should not interact with Chinese leaders is irresponsible and “outrageous.”
“We have to,” he said in New York on Wednesday. “I think it’s just responsible statecraft for our leaders to speak and meet with one another, and that’s the way we view it, and that’s the way we view this visit.”
Separately, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released a video for the summit noting China’s support for Iran.
The video quotes Committee Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar saying China buys 90% of Iran’s oil and is helping Tehran evade sanctions and help its struggling economy.
Beijing is keeping the economies of both Iran and Russia “afloat” while fueling its “authoritarian agenda,” the video states.
“China’s dark fleet is Iran’s economic lifeline, shipping illegal oil to bypass sanctions,” the video said.
“China also helps Iran with satellite imagery and targeting data for attacks on U.S. military assets in the Middle East.”
This article was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times.
