[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 187 (Monday, November 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5465-S5466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 China

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, this week, President Biden will attend 
the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco, where, 
on Wednesday, he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
  Earlier today, I spoke with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan 
and urged that President Biden should push President Xi on some of the 
same things my colleagues and I did during the bipartisan codel I led 
to China last month. At the top of our list is the fentanyl crisis, 
which has killed tens of thousands of Americans each year--so many of 
them young Americans--and which, in large part, originates in China.
  For years, Chinese chemical companies have faced little oversight as 
they have sold chemicals like fentanyl analogs, xylazine, and other 
substances to Mexican buyers. Mexican cartels then turn these chemicals 
into fentanyl that they sell in the United States and ultimately into 
our communities, wreaking havoc, claiming tens of thousands of lives.
  So when my colleagues and I met with President Xi, we explained in 
graphic detail how fentanyl was devastating our communities and that 
China needs to stop the exportation of these precursor chemicals. We 
spoke in very strong terms--I did, Senator Hassan, and Senator Cassidy. 
We all told him what havoc this was wreaking in America.
  Then, I explained to President Xi that my dad used to be a small 
business owner and that it would go a very, very long way toward 
improving China's image for Americans if they took action to crack down 
on the fentanyl crisis; that the benefits China would get from cracking 
down on these companies, in terms of American good will, would far more 
than outweigh the tiny cost it would have on the economy. And I said 
any businessman knows that would be a good thing to do. President Xi 
seemed receptive to our concerns about fentanyl and said he would look 
into it.
  So, today, I relayed to Jake Sullivan that President Biden should be 
really strong on this issue and ask for concrete action from President 
Xi on this important topic.
  It sounds as if there may be a chance for progress with the Chinese 
Government on cracking down on exporting precursor chemicals used to 
manufacture fentanyl, so we are eager to hear

[[Page S5466]]

more come out of Wednesday's meeting.
  If they will crack down on these precursor chemicals that are used to 
make fentanyl, it would be of huge benefit to this country and save 
thousands of lives. So we are optimistic and hopeful that our codel and 
now President Biden pushing the issue will get some real results. It 
was among the highest priorities for our codel last month.
  I also urged Jake Sullivan to make sure that President Biden echoes 
what we told President Xi about the need for reciprocity between U.S. 
and Chinese businesses. Time and time again, our best companies are 
prohibited from competing freely or competing at all in China, while 
many of their best companies can freely compete here.
  So many of our companies are severely disadvantaged when the Chinese 
Government stacks the deck against them in the form of forced 
technology transfers, the theft of their intellectual property, and 
other unfair practices. This is costing countless American jobs and 
tens of millions--if not more--to our economy every single year.
  We listed, roughly, a dozen major companies that right now face a 
major disadvantage competing in China, and we hope the President will 
strongly push President Xi on those this week.
  We also stressed to President Xi last month that if the United States 
and China are to improve their economic relations, U.S. companies need 
to be able to compete freely in China, just as they compete freely 
here. I expect President Biden will emphasize the same this week.
  Finally, I hope President Biden is adamant, as we were, with 
President Xi that China must lean on Russia and Iran not to exacerbate 
the military crises happening around the world.
  On the Israel-Gaza conflict, in particular, we told President Xi that 
China needs to use its influence on Iran to stop them from acting in 
any way that would widen the conflict. China should play a positive, 
not a negative, role in this delicate crisis.
  In fact, during my meeting with President Xi, as you may remember, I 
criticized the Chinese Government for issuing a statement about October 
7 that failed to condemn the killing of civilians, and they ended up 
issuing a stronger statement the next day. When President Biden is 
similarly firm that China should play a stabilizing role with Iran and 
Russia, I think it will make a big difference.
  In short, Wednesday's meeting between President Biden and President 
Xi will be a real test for China to show that they truly want a better 
relationship with the United States.
  When my colleagues and I met with President Xi in person, we were 
pointed and specific with our questions and issues and found him to be 
responsive. So I expect President Biden will have the same sort of 
frank conversation we did a month ago.
  When the President hammers home the same things we focused on in 
Beijing on fentanyl, on reciprocity for U.S. businesses, on ensuring 
stability on the world stage, then, given what we saw in our 
conversations, we think it could make significant progress on issues we 
have long focused on here in the U.S. Senate.
  I salute President Biden for meeting with President Xi, and I am very 
hopeful we will get some real results as a result of that meeting.