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A group of high-level congressional lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have wrapped up a visit to Beijing to discuss US-China relations.

Getting into it: The bipartisan delegation was led by Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, and included Representatives Ro Khanna and Chrissy Houlahan, as well as Republican Michael Baumgartner from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The group met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in what both sides described as an effort to restart high-level conversations after years of deteriorating relations. This was the first visit by a US House delegation to China since 2019, and it came at a time of heightened tensions over issues including Taiwan, trade policy, military activity in the South China Sea, and technology regulation.

The primary focus of the meeting centered on military-to-military communication, which lawmakers repeatedly described as a critical and urgent need. “As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I’m deeply concerned that our two militaries don’t communicate more,” Rep. Smith said during opening remarks. He emphasized that reducing misunderstandings between the two militaries could help avoid potential conflict.

Premier Li Qiang called the meeting “an icebreaking visit that will further the ties between the two countries.” He urged the US to “view China and bilateral relations in a correct way,” and said, “It is important for our two countries to have more exchanges and cooperation, this is not only good for our two countries but also of great significance to the world.”

Li also expressed China’s willingness to work with the US on the basis of “equality, respect, and reciprocity,” adding that both countries should act as “partners for common development” and strive for “peaceful coexistence and mutual success.”