Lawmakers are gathering to lobby large American automakers to cut their dependence on Chinese auto parts following Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing on Monday, according to a report by Reuters.
The House of Representatives plans to send four members to appeal to CEOs of Ford, General Motors, and multiple U.S.-based auto suppliers. Republican Reps. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and John Moolenaar of Michigan and Democratic Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois and Haley Stevens of Michigan will attend the meeting in Detroit, sources told Reuters.
Meeting with the auto companies is a priority for the lawmakers after Blinken’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Although the conference dealt primarily with military relations between the U.S. and China, the parties also assured one another they would work to deescalate tensions that have run hot since former President Donald Trump launched a trade war with China in 2017. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Chinese Intel Arm Quietly Operates ‘Service Centers’ In 7 US Cities)
Blinken made clear that President Joe Biden’s priorities are conciliatory, saying that the United States “does not seek a new Cold War” and continues to hold to the One China Policy.
Secretary of State Blinken: “We do not support Taiwan independence.”
The Biden admin is giving China a green light to increase its intimidation of our ally, Taiwan.
This is a dangerous display of weakness towards our adversaries on the world stage.
pic.twitter.com/RaMisS9ukT— Congressman Ben Cline (@RepBenCline) June 19, 2023
The United States receives about 10 percent of its auto part imports from China, a proportion that has decreased over the past few years.