Skelton Meets With Officials in China and South Korea
Washington, DC – Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO) recently returned from a ten-day Congressional fact-finding trip to East Asia that included visits with U.S. troops stationed in South Korea and meetings with government officials in South Korea and China.
"East Asia is an extremely important region, and I worry that U.S. foreign policy is so centered on Iraq and on the global war on terrorism that we are overlooking this part of the world," said Skelton, who serves as the Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.
The purpose of the trip was to investigate and engage in dialogue with leaders in China and South Korea about political, security, and economic trends that will affect the future of East Asia and U.S. interests in the region in the coming years. Ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives, nine of whom are members of the House Armed Services Committee, participated in the Congressional delegation.
In South Korea, Skelton and the delegation met with U.S. service members from their home states and with the top U.S. military officials in the country. "The morale of the troops is very high. They know why they are there, and I am very proud of them," said Skelton.
Meetings were conducted with members of South Korea's National Assembly, the Foreign Minister, and the Defense Minister to discuss the state of the alliance, the changing nature of the American presence on the peninsula, and the need to restart the 6 Party Talks on the North Korean nuclear issue. "Our meetings were extremely positive. The alliance between South Korea and the United States is still very strong," said Skelton.
In Beijing, China, Skelton and the delegation met with the President of the National People's Congress, the Defense Minister, and the Vice Foreign Minister. Discussions were dominated by the issue of China's Taiwan policy. In Shanghai, China, the delegation met with business leaders and visited a shipbuilding facility and a steel company. Meetings were also held with municipal officials in Shanghai to discuss trade and economic development issues.
"The fundamental question posed by both sides was whether the United States will see China as a friend or as a threat in the years to come. Our countries have many common interests – trade, energy, and peace on the Korean Peninsula, to name a few – that we should build upon to make the potential for conflict less likely," said Skelton.
En route to Asia, the delegation stopped in San Diego to meet with the crew of the USS JEFFERSON CITY (SSN-759), a Los Angeles class fast attack submarine. The delegation also received briefings on the U.S. military's tsunami relief efforts during a planned visit to Pacific Command Headquarters at Camp Smith, Hawaii.
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Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO) serves as Ranking Democrat on the House Armed
Services Committee. For further information, please contact Lara Battles or
Whitney Frost at (202)225-2876, or check Congressman Skelton's web site at http://www.house.gov/skelton.