US senators delegation arrives in China, aims to ease tensions
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A bipartisan delegation of US senators, led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, is on a visit to China as part of Washington's efforts to ease tensions with Beijing.
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The flags of the US and China seen in this undated file photo (AFP)
A group of US senators from both parties headed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer arrived in China on Saturday. This visit reportedly comes as part of efforts by Washington to ease tensions with Beijing.
"US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, leading a bipartisan delegation of senators, arrived in Shanghai on Saturday, the first stop of their trip in China," state broadcaster CGTN reported.
According to images shared by CGTN, the delegation arrived in Shanghai, China's economic hub, in the early afternoon.
Schumer is scheduled to hold discussions with high-ranking officials in Shanghai before proceeding to Beijing. According to Bloomberg, his delegation is reportedly trying to arrange a meeting with President Xi Jinping in the capital.
China has expressed its welcome to the delegation and the hope that it will contribute to the lawmakers' "understanding" of the country.
On its account, Beijing's Foreign Ministry said the trip will "promote dialogue and exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries, and inject positive elements into the development of China-US relations."
According to reports in US media, the delegation aims to address a variety of concerns, spanning from the business environment for American companies in China to matters related to human rights.
In further detail, the delegation is scheduled to make visits to South Korea and Japan during their trip, as reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the senators' offices.
The big picture
China considers the One China principle a main condition when engaging with foreign countries. The political doctrine was reached during a joint communique between the US and the PRC where both sides acknowledge "that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China" and "does not challenge that position."
But in recent years, despite claiming otherwise, the US has been breaching its commitment to the policy, as it held several high-level meetings with Taiwanese officials, boosted weapons sales to the island, and increased its military presence in the Taiwan Strait.
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