FIRST ON FOX: A group of Senate Democratic leaders are accusing President Donald Trump of making "steep concessions to Beijing" by refusing to allow the Taiwanese president to come to the U.S. and allowing China to purchase Nvidia chips.
The group claims the Trump administration has "ceded leverage" in trade talks without gaining any "real breakthrough" in negotiations, which took place in Sweden this week.
"In the face of lackluster domestic economic forecasts and anemic interest from Beijing in achieving a real breakthrough in talks, Trump and his economic team have ceded leverage and negotiating power to Beijing in a desperate attempt to lure President Xi to a meeting with Trump," Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Andy Kim, D-N.J., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Mark Warner, D-Va. said.
"Even more dangerously, they risk putting American national security, technological advantage, and economic prosperity on the chopping block in order to do so."
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Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te was planning a stopover in New York en route to a trip to Latin America, but the Trump administration reportedly denied permission for the stop after China raised objections.
The U.S. does not maintain formal relations with Taiwan, but such stops have happened before.
Last week, the Trump administration reversed a ban on selling Nvidia's lower-powered H20 chips to China to power its artificial intelligence, arguing they were only the U.S.' "fourth-best chip."
That move was a concession in talks with China over rare earth minerals, in hopes that Beijing would stop cutting off exports of the materials needed for all sorts of American technologies.
"President Trump is handing our primary geopolitical adversary the keys to the castle of 21st century global technological dominance. Doing so will enable Chinese leadership in artificial intelligence, infusing the Chinese military with the technological advantage it needs to continue hostile operations across the globe," the Democratic statement claimed.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly shot back in a statement to Fox News Digital: "Democrats enabled and applauded Joe Biden's weakness when they denied the Wuhan lab leak theory and allowed a spy balloon to surveil our country."
"President Trump is putting America First, and his strategy is working - China is sending rare earth magnets to the United States, and tariffs are rapidly leveling the playing field for American industries. This President is successful because he will look anyone in the eye to negotiate better deals for our country, and he will continue to advance American interests, such as bolstering our economy and stopping the flow of fentanyl into our communities."
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The U.S. and China concluded their third round of high-level trade talks on Tuesday, ahead of an August 12 deadline after which the steep China tariffs Trump announced in April are expected to kick in.
Trump told reporters Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent felt "very good" about the meeting, but it's unclear yet if the two sides reached any solid agreements - or plan to extend the August deadline.
Trump, the Democrats claimed, "is emboldening Beijing to take aggressive actions and seek even more aggressive concessions in whatever trade negotiations may follow."
"Trump and this administration must reset their dangerously weak approach to China and make clear they will no longer accept symbolic wins in exchange for steep American concessions. An administration convinced it can renegotiate the world order needs to stop negotiating against itself."
The White House could not immediately be reached for comment.
