House Republicans urge Biden to make demands of Xi Jinping ahead of meeting next week

WASHINGTON — Republicans on the House Select Committee on China sent a letter Wednesday to President Joe Biden ahead of his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, urging him to shift policy toward China and "challenge Beijing" to prove that it wants to improve relations with the U.S. Committee Chair Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., who led the letter, outlined demands that Biden should make to Xi, which include stemming the flow of chemicals used to make fentanyl, releasing Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai and others held by China, as well as ending near-collisions between Chinese and…