7 Democratic Senators Urge Trump Administration to Stay Tough on China

As the U.S. approaches the “final weeks” of negotiations with China on a comprehensive trade deal, “we urge you to insist that the deal make substantial, verifiable, and enforceable progress to address the myriad threats identified” in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Trade Act Section 301 report on allegedly unfair Chinese trade practices, seven Democratic senators wrote President Donald Trump Wednesday. "Any acceptable agreement must, at a minimum, commit China to cease the predatory practices” uncovered in the 301 investigation, including forced technology transfer and discriminatory licensing terms, said the letter by Sens. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Mark Warner of Virginia, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada. "The only way to hold the Chinese government to its word is to lay out clear metrics by which we can judge compliance," they said. Ending China’s unfair trade practices is “a critical step” toward “reversing the damage” those policies have had on the U.S. economy. they said.