In a climate of persistent tension and wary optimism, a bipartisan delegation from the US House of Representatives has arrived in Beijing for a series of high-stakes meetings with China’s top officials. The visit, which began on Sunday, September 21, 2025, marks the first such congressional trip to China since 2019 and comes at a time when the world’s two largest economies are grappling with deep-rooted disagreements over trade, technology, and global security. The delegation is led by Democrat Adam Smith, the most senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, and includes Democrats Ro Khanna and Chrissy Houlahan as well as Republican Michael Baumgartner.
According to the Associated Press, Smith did not mince words about the state of US-China dialogue. "You have to be willing to start the process of saying, ‘Okay, this is where I’m coming from, where are you coming from?’ And we’re not even at that point yet. We’re still sort of talking past each other," he told reporters on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. The sentiment was echoed by his colleagues as the group pressed for more substantive engagement on a host of thorny issues.
Military tensions have been front and center during the delegation’s visit. Smith warned of the "risk of a misunderstanding" between the two militaries, especially as advances in defense technology—think artificial intelligence, drone warfare, cyber, and space—accelerate at breakneck speed. "AI and drone warfare and cyber and space is moving so rapidly and innovation is happening so quickly. The risk of a misunderstanding of capabilities on one side or the other is great," Smith said at a news conference at the US Embassy in Beijing, as reported by Channel News Asia. He stressed the urgent need for more communication between the US and Chinese militaries "for basic de-confliction," adding, "We’ve seen this with our ships, our planes, their ships, their planes coming entirely too close to one another. We need to have a better conversation about de-conflicting those things."
These concerns are not hypothetical. The US military reported in October 2023 that a Chinese fighter jet had come within 10 feet of an American bomber over the South China Sea—a stark reminder of how quickly routine encounters can escalate into dangerous incidents. Smith drew a parallel with the Cold War era, noting, "At the height of the Cold War, we had regular conversations, regular treaties with the Soviet Union." The implication: the US and China need to build similar guardrails to prevent accidental conflict.
The delegation’s agenda in Beijing has been packed. Since arriving, the group has met with Premier Li Qiang, Defence Minister Dong Jun, Vice Premier He Lifeng, and Zhao Leji, head of China’s National People’s Congress. On Monday, September 22, 2025, the lawmakers discussed the importance of candid dialogue and working through differences with Defence Minister Dong. According to China’s Xinhua state news agency, Dong called on the visitors to "remove disruptive and restrictive factors" between the two nations.
Trade has also loomed large over the discussions. Both sides dramatically hiked tariffs against each other earlier this year, disrupting global supply chains and rattling markets. The US imposed 30 percent duties on Chinese goods, while China retaliated with a 10 percent tariff on US products. A deal was eventually reached to reduce these levies, but it’s set to expire in November, raising the specter of renewed economic hostilities. The delegation’s talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng touched on these ongoing trade negotiations as well as hot-button issues like fentanyl, critical minerals, and the future of TikTok. Smith acknowledged that the TikTok issue remains unresolved, stating, "My understanding is that I don’t think that has been 100 percent resolved."
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid fueling a deadly epidemic in the US, has been another source of friction. The delegation called on Beijing to do more to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, a plea that has become a recurring theme in bilateral talks.
Despite the challenges, there were moments of optimism. On Tuesday, Smith met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who struck a conciliatory note, saying, "China’s door was always open." Wang also emphasized the importance of the current thaw in relations, telling the delegation, "The current stabilisation of China-US relations is hard-won and should be cherished," according to a readout from Beijing. However, he didn’t shy away from sensitive topics, criticizing Washington’s stance on Taiwan and reminding the group, "The US has made a political commitment on the one-China issue. To safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, it is necessary to firmly oppose 'Taiwan independence'."
Smith, for his part, highlighted the vast potential for US-China cooperation beyond security. "There are many things that we can work together on because the capabilities of China, the capabilities of the US are the greatest in the world. If we work together, there’s no end of the things that we can accomplish," he said, as reported by the Associated Press.
The broader context of the visit is shaped by recent developments at the presidential level. US President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House following a contentious election, has sought to manage tensions with China despite his earlier tough rhetoric. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke by telephone just days before the congressional visit—their second call since Trump’s return. Trump has announced plans to meet Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea at the end of October 2025, and to visit China early next year. He also indicated that Xi would visit the US at an unspecified future date, with further phone calls planned.
Military communication between the US and China had been suspended for over a year following former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2022—a move that infuriated Beijing. It was only after a meeting between Xi and then-President Joe Biden in November 2023 that military contacts resumed, a development widely seen as a necessary step toward reducing the risk of miscalculation.
As the US delegation continues its meetings in Beijing—scheduled to last until Thursday, September 25, 2025—hopes for progress are tempered by the sheer complexity of the issues at hand. From the risks of military mishaps to the intricacies of global trade, fentanyl trafficking, and the ever-present Taiwan question, the road ahead is anything but straightforward. Yet, as Smith and his colleagues have repeatedly emphasized, dialogue remains the only viable path forward, however imperfect or halting it may be.
For now, the world watches closely as Washington and Beijing attempt to bridge their differences, aware that the stakes—peace, prosperity, and global stability—could hardly be higher.