Steve Daines, a Republican senator and strong Trump supporter, suggested in Beijing that he was laying the groundwork for a meeting between the leaders.

Chinese experts say Beijing is open to talks but is being stonewalled by the State Department and other official channels.

China on Monday (March 17, 2025) welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that India and China have achieved “normalcy” at the border after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and that the two sides were restoring ties to pre-2020,

China’s Premier Li Qiang said Sunday that Beijing and Washington should choose dialogue instead of confrontation, as the two countries are locked in rising friction over trade tariffs and efforts to combat illegal fentanyl trade.

Republican Senator Steve Daines, a hardcore Trump supporter, met with a delegation of high-level officials in Beijing, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang.