GOP senators not happy with Trump’s embrace of Xi after China helped Iran

GOP senators not happy with Trump’s embrace of Xi after China helped Iran

Republican senators are dismayed over President Trump’s lavish welcome of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the U.S. after the discovery that Iran used Chinese satellite imagery to target American troops in Jordan.

Republican senators were told of deepening military cooperation between Iran and China at a closed-door national security briefing Thursday, heightening their concerns about Trump’s red-carpet welcome of Xi at Joint Base Andrews.

GOP lawmakers called on Trump to confront Xi over reports that the Chinese government has provided military assistance to Iran and demanded that China produce real concessions on trade, especially U.S. agricultural exports. These discussions have been elusive in Trump’s negotiations with China.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said the 21-gun salute and B-1 bomber flyover that greeted Xi’s arrival were “over the top.”

She also said the military honors for Xi were excessive .

Republican senators are also questioning Trump’s announcement this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been invited to the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Miami in December.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he wasn’t happy to see Trump lavish Xi with honors given escalating tensions between the U.S. and China over the war in Iran, Taiwan’s independence and the artificial intelligence race.

Cornyn, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it’s “pretty clear” that China, Russia, Iran and North Korea have formed an “axis” alliance opposing the U.S.

“We’ve seen that happen before with disastrous consequences, so I think we need to be very concerned and very aware of what’s happening,” he warned.

Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.

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