A coalition of Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the White House on Monday calling on President Donald Trump to directly address Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding Beijing’s alleged provision of military support to Iran. The correspondence comes ahead of a scheduled summit between the two leaders later this week.
Trump and Xi are set to convene in Washington on Wednesday for their second meeting since the outbreak of war in the Middle East in February. The lawmakers, all former members of the armed services, pointed to a Sept. 11 report by the Wall Street Journal citing U.S. intelligence assessments. The report indicated that a Chinese firm supplied satellite imagery that facilitated an Iranian strike on an airbase in Jordan in July, an attack that resulted in the deaths of three American soldiers.
“Our servicemembers are paying the price in blood for this administration’s pathetic refusal to confront Beijing,” stated Reps. Pat Ryan, Seth Moulton, Ted Lieu, Chrissy Houlahan, Jason Crow, and eight other Democratic representatives in the letter shared with ABC News. They argued that the president has a critical opportunity to condemn China’s role in arming and enabling Iran and to demand an end to such support.
Rep. John Moolenaar, a Republican and chairman of the House Select Committee on China, took a similarly hardline stance. He described the reported link between Chinese imagery and lethal Iranian attacks as a “dramatic unilateral escalation.” In a separate letter addressed to the president last week, Moolenaar stated that Chinese cooperation with the Iranian military leading to American casualties is “tantamount to an act of war against the United States.” He added that consequences must be imposed to deter what he termed “murderous treachery” by the Chinese Communist Party.
The State Department sanctioned four China-based entities in May for providing satellite imagery that enabled Iranian military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. One company was identified as having collected images of U.S. facilities at Iran’s request during the conflict. China has denied that its state-owned companies are supporting Iran’s war effort.
When asked previously whether he would raise the issue with Xi, Trump expressed a more conciliatory tone. On Sept. 13, he told reporters, “I think he’s behaved reasonably well,” and remarked that both nations engage in espionage against each other.
Rep. Pat Ryan, a New York Democrat and former Army intelligence officer who served in Iraq, criticized the president’s approach. “What’s worse is that Trump knows, too, and hasn’t done a thing to stop it,” Ryan said, noting that such information could be “dangerous…in the wrong hands.”
Analysts suggest the summit may focus more on energy markets than direct confrontation over military support. Evan Medeiros, a China analyst at The Asia Group and former National Security Council official, predicted the U.S. would seek Chinese assistance in isolating Iran’s economy from global markets. However, he noted that China would likely be reluctant and demand side payments, leading him to expect limited progress on the issue.
Sanctioning entities in May seems too little, too late. Hope the summit actually addresses the core issue this time.
Really surprised Trump didn’t go harder on this. His usual rhetoric would suggest sanctions immediately. What’s the play here?
If it caused American deaths, calling it mere escalation feels like a massive understatement. Actions have consequences.