[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 188 (Tuesday, November 14, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CHINA
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, tomorrow, for the second time since
taking office, President Biden will meet with Chinese President Xi
Jinping during the APEC summit in San Francisco.
Above all, I look forward to President Biden pushing President Xi on
something I raised during the bipartisan codel I led to China: cracking
down on the sale of precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl.
When my Senate colleagues and I met with President Xi, we explained
in stark detail how destructive the fentanyl crisis was here in America
and that China had a responsibility to do its part to stop its
trafficking. One step we strongly urged President Xi to take is for
Chinese law enforcement to coordinate with the United States to enforce
laws already on the books on the sale of precursor chemicals. I believe
we have made progress on this issue, and I am very optimistic that good
news will come from tomorrow's meeting regarding fentanyl when
President Biden meets with President Xi.
If China stopped the sale of chemicals used to make fentanyl, it
would not only save countless American lives but even benefit China, as
it would go a long way to improving China's image in the minds of
Americans.
So, just as we pushed President Xi on cracking down on fentanyl last
month, I expect President Biden will urge him to do so tomorrow, and I
think we may see real results. When we met with President Xi in person,
we were pointed and specific with our questions and issues and found
him to be responsive, and I hope President Biden will have the same
sort of frank conversation tomorrow with President Xi.
____________________