UPDATE - US lawmakers visit China in 1st since 2019, meet with Chinese Premier

UPDATES WITH CHINESE PREMIER HOSTING US DELEGATION; REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - A bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers on Sunday visited China, marking the first such visit since 2019, where they also met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

On Sunday, US Ambassador to China David Perdue wrote on the US social media company X that he welcomed the delegation led by Democratic Representative Adam Smith, saying that this group “plays a vital role in managing the US-China relationship.”

Smith, a representative from Washington state, is former chair of the House Armed Services Committee and currently serves as the leading Democrat on the committee.

Besides Smith, the delegation included other lawmakers such as Michael Baumgartner, Ro Khanna, and Chrissy Houlahan, all members of the House of Representatives.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang hosted the delegation in Beijing on Sunday and urged the US Congress to view China and bilateral relations in a “correct way,” according to Xinhua News.

Li called on the US side to actively facilitate exchanges and cooperation, and play a “constructive role” in fostering China-US friendship and common development.

The visit followed Friday’s phone call between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, where they discussed the TikTok issue.

"The US side needs to provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese investors," Xi told Trump during the call.

Afterwards, Trump said that his Chinese counterpart had "approved" a TikTok deal.

"I had a great call with President Xi, and as you know, he approved the TikTok deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We have to get it signed. I guess it could be a formality.”

Under US legislation, TikTok was required to have a US owner or be blocked in the US, though Trump has postponed any ban multiple times since taking office in January.

Besides TikTok ownership, topics such as trade tariffs, cybersecurity, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and policies on Hong Kong and Taiwan are likely to be discussed during the lawmakers’ visit.