Sen. Chris Coons on Sunday said President Trump needs to be using “every ounce of leverage” the U.S. has over China amid talk that a planned summit with Mr. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could proceed next month.
Mr. Coons said it’s possible to have a constructive summit, and commended Mr. Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for recently securing the release of three Americans who had been held in North Korea.
“But I would caution that if we go ahead without using every ounce of leverage we have over China, we’re making a mistake,” Mr. Coons, Delaware Democrat, said on “Fox News Sunday.”
Mr. Coons pointed to the example of ZTE, one of China’s biggest telecommunications companies that’s faced U.S. sanctions over the company’s violation of a settlement over illegal sales to Iran and North Korea.
Late last week, the Trump administration reportedly struck a deal to lift a ban on U.S. sales to ZTE — a deal that already faces bipartisan resistance in Congress. The deal would force China to pay a $1.3 billion fine and would require the company to restructure its board, among other requirements.
“This is a moment where President Trump has China’s attention and should use it to extract concessions both on North Korea and on China’s ongoing theft of our inventions and innovations,” Mr. Coons said. “I hope President Trump will show himself able to do that.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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