WASHINGTON – A Republican and a Democrat from Washington state met with Premier Li Qiang and other Chinese officials in Beijing on Sunday and Monday, the first delegation of House lawmakers to visit China since 2019.

Rep. Michael Baumgartner, a freshman Republican from Spokane, joined the bipartisan delegation led by Rep. Adam Smith of Bellevue, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. In a statement, Baumgartner said Washington is one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation and touted the state’s agriculture and aerospace industries.

“This trip is about safeguarding those shared interests while pressing for market access for U.S. goods and technology, protecting intellectual property, and ending coercive practices,” he said. “The U.S.-China relationship is pivota

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