US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday called on Chinese President Xi Jinping to support Israel after deadly attacks by Hamas, adding he was "disappointed" that Beijing showed "no sympathy" for the country over the weekend.
Fighters from Islamist group Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more as they attacked Israeli towns on Saturday, the deadliest incursion into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago. Israel responded by pounding Gaza, killing hundreds of Palestinians.
In response, China's foreign ministry urged in a weekend statement the "relevant parties" to remain calm and to end hostilities to protect civilians, adding that "the fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine."
Schumer is leading a rare bipartisan congressional delegation on a trip to Asia, which also includes stops in South Korea and Japan. It aims to advance US economic and national security interests.
"The ongoing events in Israel over the last few days are nothing short of horrific. I urge you and the Chinese people to stand with the Israeli people and condemn the cowardly and vicious attacks," Schumer told Xi during their meeting in Beijing.
"I say this with respect, but I was disappointed by the foreign minister's statement that showed no sympathy or support for the Israeli people during these troubled times," he added.
Asked about Schumer's remarks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular briefing on Monday that China was "highly concerned" about the escalation. "We are very saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict, and also oppose and condemn such acts against civilians," she added.
Mao said China was calling for a ceasefire to avoid more deaths, and urged Chinese citizens traveling to the area to pay attention to the local security situation and avoid going out.
Level playing field
After passing a sweeping bill last year to boost competition with China in semiconductors and other technology, Schumer and Democratic committee leaders said in May they would write legislation to limit the flow of technology to China, deter it from initiating a conflict with Taiwan and tighten rules to block US capital from going to Chinese companies.
On Monday, Schumer reiterated that the main objective of the trip was to seek economic reciprocity and the creation of a level playing field for US businesses in China, and assured that Washington was not seeking conflict with Beijing.
"China must also provide a level playing field for American companies and workers. Many Americans, most Americans, including our delegation, do not believe we have that fairness now," Schumer told Wang during their Beijing meeting.
Xi told Schumer that their two countries should respect and collaborate with each other. He added that ties between China and the United States were the most important bilateral relations in the world, and that he wanted to listen to the opinions on the other side.
The group of six senators, co-led by Republican Mike Crapo, will meet government and business leaders in the three countries they are visiting, and officials from US companies operating in the region.
Other senators on the trip include Republicans Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, and Democrats Maggie Hassan and Jon Ossoff. The group landed in Shanghai on Saturday, where it held meetings with the business community over the weekend.
The trip comes after visits from a series of high-level Biden administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in August.
Communication between US and Chinese officials has increased in recent months, bringing some improvement in ties strained for years over issues such as Taiwan, the origins of COVID-19 and accusations of Chinese spying.
Schumer's comments echo those made by Raimondo in August, when she said US companies had complained to her that China has become "uninvestable," pointing to fines, raids and other actions that made it risky to do business there.