The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee took to the Senate floor Tuesday to make clear that he wished President Donald Trump was not planning to host China’s Xi Jinping for a summit this week.
“Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would’ve suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi).
Wicker suggested that Trump inquire during the state dinner on Thursday about “China’s massive military buildup or about China’s clear support for Iran.”
“This summer, it was all over the press that China gave Iran satellite imagery intelligence, and that intelligence led to the death of American troops,” Wicker said. “So I would certainly suggest that the president try to get an answer to that.”
He also urged Trump to advocate for jailed Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai and China’s Uyghur ethnic minority, and to stand up against China’s persecution of Christians, Tibetan Buddhists and practitioners of Falun Gong.
“During every minute of dialogue, our commander in chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America,” Wicker said.
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