The foreign ministry confirmed on Wednesday that a U.S. Congressional delegation led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will visit China “in the coming days.”
“China welcomes U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to lead a bipartisan delegation of senators to China,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We hope this visit will contribute to a more objective understanding of China in the U.S. Congress, increase dialogue and communication between the legislatures of our two countries, and add positive factors to the growth of China-U.S. relations,” the statement said.
The confirmation came a day after Schumer’s office announced the delegation’s trip to East Asia, which will include stops in China, South Korea and Japan.
The Senate majority leader’s office said the delegation, consisting of three Democrat and three Republican senators, will arrive in China next week to talk with Chinese officials about U.S. concerns as well as areas of potential cooperation.
The trip followed a flurry of high-level meetings that has taken place between high-level officials on both sides since June, aimed at reestablishing communication channels and paving way for a potential summit between the two countries’ presidents.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China in June, followed by visits by Treasury and Commerce secretaries Janet Yellen and Gina Raimondo as well as climate envoy John Kerry.
Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, also met U.S. President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Malta last month. Wang is expected to visit Washington before the end of October.
Contact reporter Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)
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