A Republican leader ripped into President Donald Trump for his lavish Washington welcome for Chinese leader Xi Jinping despite a record as a "dictator."
On Tuesday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) tore into Trump during a "pointed floor speech," according to reporting by Semafor congressional bureau chief Burgess Everett. In his speech, Wicker warned Trump to remember exactly who he is hosting this week.
According to Everett, Wicker said Trump "should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly" at the United States.
Wicker also made clear that he opposed extending the invitation in the first place.
If Trump had asked for his advice, Wicker said he "would have suggested the president not invite [Xi] to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America," Everett reported.
Wicker listed several issues he believes Trump should raise with Xi. He included China's military buildup, political prisoners, and what Wicker called China's "interference in the internal affairs of nations around the world." He also pointed to the thousands of Uyghurs who, he said, "have been sent to concentration camps," according to Everett.
On Monday, Beijing confirmed that Xi accepted an invitation from Trump and will pay a state visit to the United States from Wednesday to Friday, which makes it his first state visit to Washington since 2015, Reuters reported.
During the visit, Xi will "hold in-depth exchanges of views with President Trump on major issues concerning China-US relations, as well as world peace and development," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told the press, per Reuters.
"China is willing to work with the U.S. to...strengthen dialogue and cooperation, properly manage differences, continuously enhance the well-being of the peoples of both countries," Chinese ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, per Reuters.
Trump is expected to personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington when the Chinese leader lands, an unusual gesture for an arriving foreign leader, according to reporting by NewsDrum.
According to a press release, the White House has planned a full ceremonial welcome, with a formal State Arrival Ceremony spanning the South Lawn, State Floor and Rose Garden, and 479 military personnel from every branch of the armed forces.
