Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Bipartisan Senate Delegation He Is Leading To China, Japan, And Korea
Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the bipartisan Senate delegation he is leading to China, Japan, and Korea next week. Senator Schumer will be joined by Senators Crapo, Cassidy, Hassan, Kennedy, and Ossoff. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
Next week, I will lead a bipartisan delegation of Senators on a visit to China, Japan, and Korea. This will be my second time leading a Congressional delegation as Majority Leader, after our first visit which went to India, Israel, Pakistan, and Germany.
Let me first thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for joining me on this visit: Senator Crapo, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, Senators Cassidy, Hassan, Kennedy, and Ossoff. Bipartisan is our watchword in the Senate, and you can see that this delegation is no exception. Three Democrats, three Republicans.
Our trip will be a visit to the most consequential region in the world, focusing on the issues of economic competition and security, on American national security, and on global leadership in advanced technology. Unlike recent delegations to China, I am proud that we will go as elected representatives of the American people, underscoring how serious Congress is about maintaining America’s global leadership in the 21st century.
We’ll meet with government and business leaders from each country, with American ambassadors and diplomats, with American companies to hear from them what they need best to succeed in Asia.
Our message to China will be clear but fair: the Chinese government must work with us to ensure a level playing field so that U.S. businesses and American workers have the opportunity to compete fairly in decades to come.
So, we’ll focus on the need for reciprocity in China for U.S. businesses. And we’ll focus on advancing America’s national security interests and leadership in critical technologies.
I also look forward to having a direct, candid, and respectful conversation with Chinese leadership on the need to combat the distribution of fentanyl, on China’s human rights record, regional security and stability, and on the need for cooperation where possible.
I thank all my colleagues for joining me on this bipartisan delegation to Asia, and I look forward to a constructive trip where we can work together to advance America’s interests and leadership on the world stage.
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