Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit, Democrats Call for Tighter China Chip Controls

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) urged President Donald Trump to take a tougher stance on China ahead of his meeting with regime leader Xi Jinping.

The two Democrats called for blocking Chinese access to advanced U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chips and chip-making equipment. Slotkin said Trump should also keep Chinese cars out of the United States and address her allegation that Chinese companies shared information that helped Iran target U.S. service members.

“President Trump must draw a hard line,” Schumer said Wednesday in a press release. “Do not weaken America’s export controls. Do not give China greater access to the advanced chips and chip-making equipment it needs to close the gap with the United States.”

Schumer said the sales could weaken the U.S. lead in AI and called for Senate action on three bipartisan bills to tighten export controls.

Schumer said Trump is giving away the United States’ greatest advantage in the AI race by “greenlighting the sale of advanced AI chips to China.”

The White House didn’t respond to an email seeking comment by time of publication.

Xi arrived in the United States on Sept. 23 for a two-day summit in Washington.

Slotkin said allowing Chinese companies to come into the United States and manufacture and sell Chinese cars would devastate the country’s manufacturing.

“It is the beginning of the end of auto manufacturing in the United States, and therefore, the end of our manufacturing base,” Slotkin said. She added that Democrats wouldn’t allow that to happen.

Citing media reports, Slotkin also said that Chinese companies are providing data such as satellite information to Iran to target U.S. service members. She said Trump must address that.

In January, the Commerce Department changed its policy to consider export licenses for advanced chips to China on a case-by-case basis.

Under the new rule, applicants must show that the sales would preserve chip capacity for U.S. customers, that Chinese buyers have export compliance procedures, and that the chips have undergone independent testing in the United States. The department said controlled sales would strengthen the American technology industry.

Family members of political prisoners held in China have also urged Trump to work for their release during the summit.

Democratic lawmakers handed the president the names of 22 prisoners he could bring up with Chinese officials.

Discussions between Trump and the Chinese leader are expected to cover issues ranging from rare earth shipments and trade frictions to tensions surrounding Taiwan.