BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, has met a senior Chinese diplomat in Beijing at a time when the U.S. and China have swapped tariff threats and harsh words over each others' handling of the illegal trade in fentanyl.
Daines, a Republican from Montana, arrived in the Chinese capital on Thursday after meeting top leaders in Vietnam, according to social media posts by him and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
On Friday, the senator met Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and had a “deep exchange” of views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.
Daines said on X earlier this week that he would be talking with Chinese officials about curbing the production and distribution of fentanyl and “the need to reduce the trade deficit and ensure fair market access for our Montana farmers, ranchers and producers.”
His office said ahead of the trip that he is coordinating closely with the White House and will be “carrying President Trump's America First agenda."
Daines previously worked as an executive in China and served as a go-between during Trump's first term in office when tariffs were also a major issue. He is the first member of Congress to visit Beijing since Trump took office in January.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said China welcomed Daines and believed “that the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations is in the common interest of the two peoples and in line with the general expectations of the international community.”
Mao gave no details on Daines' agenda or on whom he would meet, but added that “China always believes that China and the U.S. should address their respective concerns through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect.”
U.S.-China tensions have spiked as the U.S. imposed 20% duties on Chinese goods, drawing retaliatory tariffs of 15% on U.S. farm goods from China this past week. The U.S. accuses China of doing too little to stop the export of precursor materials for fentanyl, a highly potent opiate blamed for tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S.
China responded with a report detailing its efforts to control the illegal trade in fentanyl, specifically the ingredients for the opioid that are made in China, and the foreign minister blasted the U.S. for responding to Beijing’s goodwill with tariffs.
The report said that China and the U.S. have held multiple high-level meetings since early last year to promote cooperation, and that its Narcotics Control Bureau holds regular exchanges with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
China is committed to cooperation, the report said, “but firmly opposes the U.S. imposition of unlawful sanctions and unreasonable pressure on China on the pretext of responding to fentanyl-related issues.”
Also on Friday, Wang Wentao, the Chinese commerce minister, met David Ricks, chief executive officer of the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co., and told the American executive that Beijing hopes multinationals to “overcome the uncertainty in the exterior environment” but continue to do business in China.
FILE -Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., speaks at the Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing for Scott Bessent, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be Secretary of the Treasury, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves in a familiar spot.
Monday night's wild-card playoff game against Houston was close through three quarters, but Sheldon Rankins’ 33-yard fumble return for a touchdown allowed the Texans and their top-ranked defense to break it open and beat the Steelers 30-6.
“Certainly a disappointing end to our season,” Tomlin said. “We’ve got to give Houston a lot of credit, in particular their defensive unit. I thought they ruled the day.”
Tomlin and the Steelers lost their seventh straight playoff game. It’s the longest active postseason losing streak in the league, and Tomlin matched Marvin Lewis of the Bengals for the longest playoff skid by an NFL coach.
The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since beating Kansas City in the 2016 divisional round, and whether Tomlin will be back for a 20th season in Pittsburgh is once again an open question — one that Tomlin declined to address in the aftermath of the loss.
“I’m not in the big-picture perspective,” Tomlin said. “I’m just not in that mindset. I don’t think about the totality of it. You pour everything that you have into these performances and what goes on tonight.”
Pittsburgh lost a scheduled Monday night home game for the first time since Oct. 14, 1991, to the New York Giants. The Steelers were unbeaten in their past 23 such games.
Aaron Rodgers threw for 146 yards and the Steelers were limited to 175 yards of total offense. Calen Bullock scored Houston’s second defensive touchdown of the fourth quarter with a 50-yard pick-6 on what may have been the final throw of Rodgers’ 21-year career. The four-time MVP plans to take time before deciding whether to return for another season.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said. “I’m disappointed. It was such a fun year. Obviously, a lot of adversity, but a lot of fun.”
The Steelers forced Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud into a number of mistakes throughout the first three quarters. Stroud fumbled five times — he lost two of them — and threw an interception, but the Steelers couldn't manage a single touchdown.
Houston led 10-6 when Will Anderson Jr. sacked Rodgers, and Rankins picked up the ball and returned it to the end zone.
“I didn’t feel like we ever got the momentum on our side, honestly,” Rodgers said. “We had a lot of chances. Defense played really good in the first half. (Houston) has a good defense. But we had a lot of opportunities.”
A week earlier, Rodgers threw for a season-high 294 yards and the Steelers rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the Baltimore Ravens and win their eighth AFC North title under Tomlin.
On Monday night, the home crowd booed Tomlin and the Steelers off the field, and chants for his firing could be heard in the final minutes.
“I don’t really care about that noise because they don’t know what (Tomlin) puts into this,” veteran defensive lineman Cam Heyward said. “They don’t know how he goes out of his way to prepare every man. They don’t know about the countless nights he is in there studying film. Coaches can only do so much. Players have to play better and in those critical moments, they have to step up.”
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) leaves the field after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacts after a Houston Texans touchdown during the second half of NFL wild-card playoff football game, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
