WASHINGTON, D.C. — The top lawmaker on the House Committee on China said he’s doubtful of President Joe Biden’s positive outlook on relations between Washington and Beijing.

Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., pointed to illegal surveillance and ramped-up rhetoric from members of the Chinese Communist Party as examples of heightened tensions.

“We’ve seen increased aggression by the Chinese Communist Party. So for the president to interpret that as a flaw actually astounds me,” Gallagher said. “There’s this push from the administration on enhanced economic engagement with China, thinking that will moderate their behavior. How much more evidence do we need to suggest that that’s a naive fantasy?”

“So I actually think it is increasingly up to Congress to do what’s necessary to put us on the right footing to prevent war in the near term and win this competition over the long term,” he added. 

Despite huddling with world leaders at the G7 Summit in Japan on ways to counter China’s growing military and economic influence, Biden remains optimistic about his agenda of competition, not conflict with China.

During a press conference Sunday, he told reporters he foresees an improvement in the relationship between the two nations. 

“We should have an open hotline. At the Bali conference, that’s what President Xi [Jinping] and I agreed we were going to do and meet on,” Biden said. “And then this silly balloon that was carrying two freight cars’ worth of spying equipment was flying over the United States, and it got shot down, and everything changed in terms of talking to one another. I think you’re going to see that begin to thaw very shortly.”

However, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang was sour at the weekend meeting, accusing G7 leaders of meddling in internal affairs and manipulating global relations. 

“The G-7 makes high-sounding claims about ‘promoting a peaceful, stable and prosperous world,’ but what it does is hindering international peace, undermining regional stability and curbing other countries’ development," the spokesperson for Gang said.

“...Despite China’s serious concerns, the G7 used issues concerning China to smear and attack China and brazenly interfere in China’s internal affairs...,” they added. 

But Biden maintained his conciliatory tone and expressed his willingness to work with China in the future. 

“Now, we’re also united in our approach to the People’s Republic of China, and the joint statement released yesterday outlines the shared principles we’ve all agreed at the G7 and beyond in dealing with China,” Biden told reporters Sunday. “We’re not looking to decouple from China; we’re looking to de-risk and diversify our relationship with China.”

“That means taking steps to diversify our supply chains, and we’re not — so we’re not dependent on any one country for necessary products. It means resisting economic coercion together and countering harmful practices that hurt our workers. It means protecting a narrow set of advanced technologies critical for our national security. And those elements are all agreed on by the G7,” he continued. 

The House Select Committee in China will meet this week to start talks about legislative proposals.