Select Committee Democrats Outline Priorities Ahead of Trump–Xi Meeting at APEC Summit
President Trump is set to meet with General Secretary Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, South Korea at the end of October. This meeting will be the first in-person meeting of the leaders since President Trump began his second term. This is a pivotal moment in bilateral relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and will set the course for future formal negotiations between the U.S. and the PRC. The Trump Administration has conducted no formal public consultation on a potential U.S.-PRC deal, nor has it consulted with Congress. A series of public statements from the President and his Administration officials have not indicated a formal strategy regarding what this Administration is seeking from the PRC and what this Administration is willing to give up during these talks.
The Ranking Member and Democratic Members of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party share their perspectives on these U.S.-PRC bilateral dialogues below.
Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08)
Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi sees potential opportunity hidden among considerable risk when thinking about President Trump’s upcoming meeting with President Xi Jinping. Walking into this meeting with Xi, President Trump must bear in mind: the PRC is an economic adversary and will do anything to win the strategic competition with the United States; we cannot let that happen.
Trade
Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi continues to urge this Administration to address the pernicious issue of the PRC’s structural overcapacity. Additionally, President Trump should address the PRC’s rampant disregard for U.S. and international trade law by pushing Xi to commit to concrete steps on how he will crack down on dumping, circumvention, state subsidies, forced labor, and intellectual property theft—all of which have direct impacts on U.S. workers and industry.
The Trump Administration must address Beijing’s unsustainable control over the global critical minerals market and, in the short-term, secure access to those materials that underpin important U.S. industries. The Ranking Member also believes this Administration must push the PRC on restoring fair market access for American agricultural exporters that have suffered as a result of the PRC’s punishing measures, such as Illinois soybeans and corn exports.
Investment
The PRC has pushed the Trump Administration to reduce inbound investment restrictions in exchange for investment pledges. Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi believes that upholding the integrity of U.S. inbound investment restrictions for the purposes of protecting national security is a necessity. Further, the Ranking Member believes the United States should be enhancing investment screening tools should the President invite large scale investment from an economic adversary.
Taiwan
The Ranking Member strongly believes that the U.S. should make no changes to our policy regarding Taiwan. Recent reporting indicates that President Trump anticipates Taiwan to be a topic of discussion during the talks. The U.S. has long maintained a strategic policy regarding Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances. President Trump should avoid any deviation from those policies or other U.S. policies toward Taiwan.
Export Controls
U.S. export controls are designed to safeguard U.S. national security. Xi will likely push Trump to back away from export controls because they are effective at slowing down the People’s Liberation Army’s military modernization, preventing human rights abuses, and helping ensure America wins the AI competition. President Trump must not trade away these national security tools.
TikTok
The TikTok Divestiture Law passed Congress on a wide, bipartisan basis and was upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court. ByteDance and the CCP can have “no operational relationship” with the new U.S. TikTok. President Trump has the opportunity to strike a deal that protects our national security and keep TikTok available for its American users. But he needs to use the leverage that Congress has provided him. President Trump’s should seek an agreement that is compliant with the law.
Detained Americans and Family Members of Americans
The CCP has wrongfully detained hundreds of Americans (including Chicagoan Dawn Hunt). The CCP has also detained individuals such as Gulshan Abbas, a Uyghur who has been imprisoned due to her sister’s exercise of her First Amendment rights in the United States. President Trump should call for the release of political prisoners—including Jimmy Lai, Gulshan Abbas, and other prominent democracy activists—and make clear that U.S. relations with the PRC cannot continue as normal as long as the CCP’s ongoing crackdown against its own people and systematic repression of minority cultures continues.
No More Support for Russia
Without Beijing’s support, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine would be unsustainable. In his talks with Xi Jinping, President Trump must hold the line and insist that Beijing stop supporting Russia’s illegal and unjust war in Ukraine.
Fentanyl
The Ranking Member firmly believes that the President can and should do more to hold the PRC accountable for their inaction with regard to the shipment of fentanyl and fentanyl precursors to the United States.
American Farmers
President Trump’s trade war and China’s retaliatory tariffs have had devastating impacts on American farmers’ livelihoods, costs, and local jobs. Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi believes American agricultural products, particularly soybeans, must be part of the discussion with President Xi Jinping in order to work toward a swift resolution that restores access to the Chinese market. This would mark a return to status quo, recapturing an important export market that was lost due to recent actions.
Rep. Kathy Castor (FL 14)
Select Committee Member Congresswoman Kathy Castor believes President Trump’s upcoming meeting with PRC President Xi presents a critical opportunity to advance U.S. interests while demanding accountability on the Administration’s handling of U.S.-PRC relations. Congress must exercise oversight to ensure that this engagement strengthens, rather than undermines, America’s economic security, human rights, and national security.
Critical Minerals
Congresswoman Castor believes that the President must urge Beijing to delay, cancel, or otherwise loosen its recent escalating export restrictions on rare earths and rare earth magnets. These materials are vital to the U.S. defense industrial base, clean energy technologies, and advanced manufacturing. Restoring access to these critical resources cannot be the endpoint of our strategy, however. The U.S. must remain focused on reducing dependence on Chinese supply chains by accelerating domestic investment, expanding partnerships with trusted allies and boosting domestic recycling and a circular economy.
Limiting Global Climate Pollution
China is a significant contributor to global climate pollution and the increasing costs and harms of the heating climate. China recently announced weak emission reduction goals that falls short of the 30% cut necessary to meet international targets. The U.S. should urge Xi to pursue ambitious emissions reductions. Lack of American leadership allows China to be less ambitious in its climate targets.
Human Rights
President Trump must make clear that the U.S. will not turn a blind eye to the Chinese government’s ongoing human rights abuses, particularly against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Forced labor, arbitrary detention, and acts of genocide demand global condemnation and tangible consequences. The Congresswoman urges this Administration to press Xi on the PRC’s widespread human rights abuses.
While standing firm on human rights, the U.S. should continue to welcome Chinese students who seek education in our universities. Issuing visas for legitimate study promotes understanding, innovation, and the values of openness and freedom that distinguish our society from authoritarian regimes like the CCP.
Taiwan and Indo-Pacific Security
Congresswoman Castor notes that it is imperative President Trump reaffirm America’s longstanding policy on Taiwan and commitment to peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan’s security is central to U.S. strategic interests and to preserving a free and open region. The Congresswoman urges the President to avoid any negotiation or discussion that undermines or trades away U.S. security cooperation with Taiwan. Any perception of wavering could embolden Beijing and erode the credibility of U.S. commitments to allies.
Fentanyl
Finally, the Congresswoman believes President Trump must press Xi to take meaningful steps to curb the export of precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl. Cooperation on this front is essential to saving American lives and establishing a baseline of accountability in U.S.-China relations.
Congresswoman Castor will be closely watching the leaders’ engagement to ensure that this meeting upholds American values, strengthens our strategic resilience, and protects our national interests.
Seth Moulton (MA 06)
Going into the summit, the biggest source of concern for Select Committee Member Congressman Seth Moulton is on issues that affect the likelihood of war between the U.S. and China. Such a war would be devastating, and the Congressman believes our primary goal must be to deter it. On most military and geopolitical issues, particularly related to flashpoints like Taiwan, the President should be entirely unwilling to change the status quo.
Congressman Moulton’s position is that Taiwan must be completely off the table during these negotiations. Nothing pertaining to the U.S.-Taiwan relationship needs to or should change, and any change will only make war more likely. In particular, he notes that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, a perennial complaint of China’s, should not be up for negotiation, nor should our security cooperation and exercising that we do with them. Under no circumstances should the President revise U.S. policy of strategic ambiguity with respect to Taiwan or indicate that he would not defend Taiwan if China were to try to take it by force. Xi must not leave this meeting believing he can succeed if he goes to war for Taiwan.
Similarly, the Congressman believes that nothing related to our alliances and to our military activity in the Western Pacific should be up for debate. Our commitment to our allies is sacrosanct, and minilateral groupings like the Quad and AUKUS are powerful deterrents to further PRC aggression. The President should not agree to anything that undermines them.
Congressman Moulton hopes the discussion will address the professional management of military encounters. China has repeatedly behaved in erratic, unprofessional and dangerous ways near U.S. and allied forces in the air and at sea. These incidents raise the risk of miscalculation and accidents that could lead to conflict that neither side truly wants. He urges the President to seek a commitment to stronger military to military communication to clear up misunderstandings, and a commitment to professional behavior by the PLA. He need only point to the collision between a Chinese Navy ship and a Chinese Coast Guard ship in August to show that this is also in their own best interest.
Congressman Moulton believes that China’s support for Russia should certainly be on the table, with the threat of substantial punishment if they do not cease their support for Russia’s criminal war against Ukraine, both in the form of sending parts and materials and purchasing Russian oil.
Tariffs will, of course, be on the table according to the Congressman and he believes that the chaos needs to stop. Both sides should pursue a stable agreement that puts an end to an unpredictable back and forth and ensures the essentials remain affordable for everyday Americans.
Lastly, while the Congressman is moderately concerned about the likelihood that President Trump yields on Taiwan matters, he is very concerned that will be willing to relax the strong export restrictions on highly advanced chips and the manufacturing equipment designed to make them, based on his previous willingness to cave to personal pressure from Nvidia. When these chips get into China’s hands at scale, they enable the People’s Liberation Army to keep pace, if not outpace, the U.S. military. While the export restrictions come at a cost to American companies, the benefit to U.S. national security far outweighs that cost. Congressman Moulton expects Beijing will press hard to get access to these chips—Trump must not cave.
Haley M. Stevens (MI 11)
As President Trump prepares for his first in-person meeting of his second term with Xi Jinping, Congresswoman Haley Stevens believes that the United States must approach China from a position of strength—anchored in industrial competitiveness, technological innovation, and trade enforcement. For Rep. Stevens, this means prioritizing policies that restore American manufacturing leadership, reduce economic dependence on Beijing, and secure the supply chains that underpin the nation’s economic and national security.
Rep. Stevens urges the Administration to focus discussions with President Xi squarely on China’s unfair trade practices, technology transfer, and market access for American manufacturers, while keeping issues like tariff rollbacks and industrial concessions off the table unless tied to clear, enforceable benefits for U.S. workers and businesses. She believes the time has come for a new industrial strategy that matches China’s ambitions with American ingenuity and resolve.
Central to that strategy is passing Rep. Stevens’ Unearth America’s Future Act, landmark legislation that will invest in the domestic production and processing of critical minerals needed for everything from the advanced chips powering AI to the materials essential to the auto industry. By building resilient, U.S.-based supply chains, the bill will reduce reliance on China, lower costs for American consumers, and create thousands of high-quality manufacturing jobs in Michigan and across the country. “We can’t compete with China if we depend on them for the building blocks of our economy,” Stevens has said. “Unearth America’s Future puts American workers and innovation first—so we can lead the industries of tomorrow.”
Rep. Stevens also highlights the need to protect the domestic auto industry from China’s state-subsidized electric vehicle exports that threaten to undercut American manufacturers. Her No Chinese Cars Act would prevent vehicles produced by Chinese companies from flooding the U.S. market, ensuring a level playing field for American workers and automakers. This legislation reinforces the principle that national security and economic security are inseparable—and that fair competition cannot exist when China’s industrial model is driven by heavy subsidies and intellectual property theft.
As a lifelong manufacturing advocate and co-chair of the House Manufacturing Caucus, Rep. Stevens views this moment as decisive. “The choice before us is simple: either we lead the future of advanced manufacturing, or we allow China to write the rules,” she said. Passing the Unearth America’s Future Act and the No Chinese Cars Act will position the United States to do the former—securing our economic strength, lowering costs, and ensuring that the next generation of innovation is made in America.
Shontel M. Brown (OH 11)
Congresswoman Shontel Brown believes that, as President Trump prepares to meet with Leader Xi Jinping during the APEC Summit, Congress must send a clear message that the strength of our country, and our credibility abroad, rests on how we defend American workers, farmers, and families here at home.
The Congresswoman notes that the stakes are high for Ohio and for the nation. China’s unfair trade practices have for years hit the heart of America’s manufacturing base, especially in places like Northeast Ohio. From steel to advanced auto components to precision manufacturing, Ohio’s workforce has paid the price for policies that put profits over people. And our farmers—especially soybean, corn, and dairy producers—have suffered when markets are manipulated or suddenly closed off because of Beijing’s political decisions. Through representing Northeast Ohio, Congresswoman Brown knows what it means when factories close, when family farms face shrinking markets, and when working people are left behind in the global economy.
The Congresswoman’s top concern is ensuring this Administration does not repeat the mistakes of the past like gaining short-term headlines while losing long-term leverage. She believes that any discussion with Beijing must start with accountability and must center around American labor, agriculture, and innovation. The President should insist on restoring fair access for U.S. agricultural exports, including soybeans and grains, under transparent and enforceable rules instead of side deals that can be revoked overnight. The Congresswoman also urges that the President must also make it clear that the United States will not tolerate the Chinese Communist Party’s use of forced labor in global supply chains or its dumping of subsidized goods that undercut U.S. producers.
On technology and innovation, Congresswoman Brown urges the administration to protect American leadership in AI, advanced manufacturing, and critical minerals. Ohio is already leading the way through investments in clean manufacturing, semiconductor production, and logistics. We can’t allow those gains to be undercut by unfair Chinese industrial policy or state-subsidized competition.
What must not be on the table are concessions that reward bad behavior or weaken U.S. leverage—whether that’s relaxing export controls, ignoring human rights abuses, or turning a blind eye to cyberattacks and intellectual property theft.
Congresswoman Brown notes that this meeting is not about optics, it’s about outcomes. Congress will be watching closely to ensure that any commitments made serve one clear purpose: putting American workers, farmers, families, and national security first.
Greg Stanton (AZ 09)
As a Member of the Select Committee and as Co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, Congressman Stanton believes that President Trump’s upcoming meeting with President Xi Jinping must be guided by clear strategic priorities and firm guardrails that protect America’s national security, economic interests, and credibility. This meeting represents a key moment for U.S. leadership to demonstrate strength, consistency, and principle in addressing the challenges posed by the PRC.
Illicit Precursor Chemicals
The Congressman believes that the President should work to ensure these talks deliver tangible progress in cracking down on the flow of illicit precursor chemicals used to produce fentanyl and other synthetic drugs. For too long, Chinese suppliers have fueled the deadly fentanyl crisis that is devastating American communities–but promises of cooperation from Beijing have not been matched by enforcement action. The Congressman urges the Administration to press China to take real, verifiable steps to identify and shut down companies that sell or export precursor chemicals to drug traffickers, enforce its own laws against those dealing in non-scheduled precursors, and allow international monitoring of its enforcement activities.
Taiwan
The Congressman also believes that the United States must reaffirm its long-standing One-China policy, grounded in the Taiwan Relations Act, and our Six Assurances to Taiwan. Taiwan’s security is directly tied to the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain–and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has made an historic investment to bring chip manufacturing to Arizona. Any erosion of or deviation from the long-held U.S. policy toward Taiwan would not only embolden China militarily, but also undermine the U.S. economy and endanger America’s access to the advanced chips that power our defense systems, critical infrastructure, and high-tech industries. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, the Congressman stresses that U.S. support for Taiwan’s self-defense and democratic resilience must remain unwavering and beyond negotiation.
Furthermore, the Congressman firmly believes that any discussion of increased PRC control over, or military activity around, Taiwan should be off the table. President Xi has telegraphed his interest in getting concessions on Taiwan from the U.S. President Trump must not barter away Taiwan’s security or sovereignty in negotiations with the PRC.
Critical Minerals
The Congressman further believes that the meeting should seek to reopen the flow of rare earth minerals from China to the global market. The PRC has developed a dangerous level of control over critical mineral mining and processing. While the United States must continue to diversify and secure alternative sources of rare earths, the immediate reality is that access to these materials remains essential for both U.S. manufacturing and national security. China’s recent export controls on rare earths and magnet materials are among the most restrictive in the world, far stricter and more broad reaching than any export control measures the U.S. has implemented. The Congressman urges President Trump to press Xi to relax recent rare earth export controls and restore fair access to these important materials for the global economy.
Export Controls
Congressman Stanton cautions against removing U.S. export controls on advanced technologies. These controls are rooted in national security, designed to prevent the transfer of sensitive capabilities to strategic adversaries. They must not be weakened for the sake of temporary economic gain or any of Trump’s misguided desires.
In the Congressman’s view, the United States can and should engage with the PRC, but only from a position of principle and strength. Ultimately, oversight from Congress is essential to ensure that this meeting and subsequent negotiations produce real and meaningful results for the American people. President Trump should avoid advancing his own short-term goals that forsake our strategic competition with the PRC.