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Steve Daines has traveled to China on congressional business six times since 2013. Last week’s visit could prove the most consequential of them.
That’s in part because of the Montana Republican senator’s outsized influence in his party right now: He’s close to President Donald Trump, just led the National Republican Senatorial Committee during a majority-making election cycle, and recently joined the Foreign Relations Committee.
Daines, who spent six years of his career working for Procter and Gamble in China, met with several high-ranking officials while in China this month, including Premier Li Qiang. He recalled Li reminding him that the late Mike Mansfield, another Montana senator, visited the country in 1972 at a critical “icebreaker moment” for the US and China.
As Trump’s Washington trades tariffs with Beijing, Daines added, the premier told Daines that he, too, was visiting China at an “icebreaker moment.”
Semafor spoke to Daines about that moment and others that helped him understand how the two countries can move forward.
The View From Steve Daines
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Burgess Everett: How did you work with the White House on this trip?
Steve Daines: Before I went to China, in what I think was a consequential moment in the relationship, I met with President Trump in the Oval Office. He stressed the importance of addressing the fentanyl issue. So that was really the focus of my discussions with the Chinese leadership, that we currently have a drug war going on. I don’t want to see a trade war. The Chinese don’t want to see a trade war.
But I emphasized to the Chinese leadership, we currently have a drug war in the United States. The leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year olds [is fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration], and it’s the raw materials, the precursors that come from China, primarily to the Mexican cartels. Some goes to Canada. So I said: They need to bring that to a halt.
Do they understand how big a problem fentanyl is here?
I went to great lengths to make sure they understood that fentanyl was not an excuse for the additional tariffs. It is the issue, nearly 100,000 Americans dying every year. And every state is affected by fentanyl. My guest to one of President Biden’s State of the Union addresses … was a father from Butte, Montana, who lost his son, who found him lying dead in his yard due to fentanyl poisoning. I told these stories to the Chinese to make sure they understood it’s personal, it’s significant. It’s a top-of-mind issue for the American people, but most important, it’s a top of mind issue for President Trump.
How worried are people in China about President Trump’s tariffs?
There’s concern that this could escalate into a larger trade war. The United States and China combined account for 43% of the world’s GDP … So this is a significant moment — not only for our two countries, but frankly, globally — because we’re such a big part of the world’s GDP. So I think both sides want to find a path forward here.
But we’ve got to get their cooperation and leadership — in not just talking, but taking action.
You’re a free trader. Are you comfortable with the White House’s handling of this issue?
The White House is not afraid to take bold, decisive action with China at the risk of creating a trade war, because they want to end this drug war we currently are facing in America.
It’s affecting your home beef industry too. Did you bring that up?
Nearly 400 processing licenses granted by the Chinese for processing and export from US packers expired. They’ve not been renewed. I made my request clear to the Chinese that we need these licenses to be renewed, because this would have a big impact. It’s somewhere between 50 and 80% in terms of supply of that market to China.
I made that request directly to Vice Premier He Lifeng. It was noted. I haven’t heard if it’s been resolved yet. But I made a direct ask.
How was it to bring an important message from the administration, but not as a diplomatic envoy?
I was there with extensive experience — we had two children born in Hong Kong — in China. And I want to use my experience and relationships I had, and the respect I have in China, to be able to clearly communicate President Trump’s policies. Specifically, the president’s focus on stopping the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
I’ve also been in communication with David Perdue [a former senator and Trump’s nominee to be ambassador to China]. David’s been a friend of mine. I’ll be introducing him at the Foreign Relations Committee hearing when he comes before the committee.