Democratic congressmen criticized the US-China summit for focusing on form over substance and urged Trump to implement security assistance to Taiwan

Democratic members of the U.S. Senate today criticized the summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping for "focusing on spectacle over substance." They believed that there was no significant breakthrough on issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), trade, critical minerals, and arms sales to Taiwan. They demanded that Trump immediately implement the security assistance to Taiwan totaling more than $15 billion approved by Congress.

Trump received Xi Jinping grandly at the White House and held a state-of-the-art summit full of diplomatic etiquette. There is currently no sign that the two men have made breakthroughs in closed-door talks on issues that the two sides disagree on.

At least 19 of the 47 Democratic Senate caucus members signed on, according to a statement seen by Reuters. Democratic lawmakers called on Trump to immediately allocate more than $15 billion in security assistance to Taiwan approved by Congress, including $1.3 billion in funds and a $14 billion arms sales package; they also urged Trump to promote human rights issues and demand the release of Americans who have been improperly detained.

Some members of Trump's Republican Party also used the summit to demand that Trump release funds related to Taiwan.

Democrats also criticized Trump for relaxing controls on China's exports of high-end chips and said extending the U.S.-China tariff truce would not be enough to solve supply chain problems, such as China's control of global rare earth refining capacity.

"Only by continuing to invest in our strengths, coordinating closely with our allies, and resolutely defending democratic values can we successfully compete with China," the statement said.

The Democratic Party has always been critical of Trump's policies, but this time's response to the summit revealed how the Democratic Party might handle its policy toward Beijing in the future if it wins control of one or both houses of Congress in the November 3 elections.

Polls show that Trump's Republican Party will face pressure to hold on to its slim majority in Congress in the upcoming election, and Trump's approval rating is also declining.