Democrats urge Trump not to ease national security restrictions for a trade deal

Democrats in the US House of Representatives and Senate are urging President Donald Trump not to ease national security restrictions on China for a trade deal, hours ahead of his expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“America’s export controls, investment safeguards, and our long-standing security partnerships must not be on the negotiating table,” a group of 12 senators led by Chuck Schumer, the chamber’s top Democrat, wrote in a letter to the Republican president on Wednesday.

Among their demands, the Democrats called on Trump to reject Beijing’s efforts to relax security curbs on their investments in the US. They also called on the president not to restrict efforts by the Treasury Department’s Outbound Investment Security Programme, which seeks to ensure American firms do not contribute to the development of sensitive technologies in countries like China.

In addition, they stressed that he should deny any attempt by Xi to secure a formal statement that the US “opposes Taiwanese independence”.

Trump is expected to meet Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in South Korea on Thursday morning local time, to try and stabalise the recent escalation in tensions.

  

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