Pro-Trump senator set to meet Chinese premier

Republican Senator Steve Daines met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Beijing on Saturday – Copyright POOL/AFP Ng Han Guan

Republican Senator Steve Daines will meet Premier Li Qiang on Sunday, a senior Chinese official announced as the strong supporter of US President Donald Trump visits Beijing.

The 62-year-old lawmaker has vowed to raise trade tensions and fentanyl smuggling during talks with Chinese officials.

His visit comes against a burgeoning trade war and is seen as a way to ease bilateral tensions, which are already high over their tech rivalry and Taiwan.

Daines, who represents the state of Montana, has considerable experience in China where he previously worked for Procter & Gamble. 

On Saturday he met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Beijing, who praised him for his knowledge of the country.

“Tomorrow Premier Li Qiang will meet with you and he will talk to you about what is happening in China and China’s broad policies,” said vice premier He, according to an official translation of his remarks.

Daines responded by saying: “On this visit of course, we’re at a time when we have important issues to discuss between our two countries. 

“I’ve always believed in having constructive dialogue and that has been the nature of all my visits to China over the course of many years.”

Since retaking office in January, Trump has unleashed a barrage of tariffs on major US trading partners, including China, Canada and Mexico, citing trade imbalances and their failure to stop illegal immigration and flows of deadly fentanyl.

Beijing has announced retaliatory measures, imposing levies of 10 and 15 percent on several US farm products, including soybeans, pork and chicken.

“We know… it’s the Mexican cartels that are producing the fentanyl but those precursors, the raw materials, come from China,” Daines told Fox News on Monday.

He also said he would address the yawning trade imbalance between the world’s two largest economies.

Trump said this week that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping would visit the United States soon. Beijing has not yet confirmed the trip.