A House of Representatives delegation led by Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) arrived this weekend in Beijing, China, and held a rare in-person meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Monday.

Dong’s appearance was the most high-profile diplomatic exchange the Communist Party has trusted him with since reports indicated he was under investigation for corruption. He most recently returned to public appearances last week, delivering a speech in which he declared that the Communist Party was “always ready to defeat any external interference by force,” threatening supporters of the sovereign government of Taiwan.

The visit is notable as no House delegation visited China during the administration of pro-Beijing former President Joe Biden; the last such visit occurred in 2019. Rep. Smith

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