James Comer

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., told Newsmax on Wednesday that President Donald Trump enters his high-stakes meetings in China with significant leverage, pointing to Beijing's reliance on Iranian oil purchases that are now funding roughly half of Iran's government budget.

Appearing on "Wake Up America" as Trump arrived in Beijing for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Comer said Iran will almost certainly become part of the discussions, even if trade remains the primary focus.

"We know that Iran continues to sell China oil," he said. "China isn't an oil-producing country, which is an advantage that we have over China. So that's going to be a topic of discussion."

Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said China's dependence on Iranian oil to meet its energy needs gives Trump leverage as the administration continues working to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"I don't think there's any scenario where the president can tell China not to buy any oil from Iran," he said. "But I think there are a lot of negotiating points that can be made. We know that China is funding about half of Iran's budget now through oil purchases."

Comer added, "We obviously want to see Iran without a nuclear weapon. That's the whole reason we're over there now, and I think that China would certainly have to understand that."

Comer also said Trump enters the talks from a position of strength because China understands the president is willing to use tariffs aggressively if Beijing refuses to negotiate fairly.

"President Trump has come along, and he's put very high tariffs on China," he said. "So China knows that President Trump means business, that he's not a pushover like the last president was. So he's coming in here with a lot of leverage."

Comer said the tariffs have "inflicted pain on both countries," increasing pressure on China to strike a meaningful trade agreement with the United States.

"The way to get this resolved is to have a free and fair trade agreement, but China is going to really have to change the way they do business," he said, noting that Chinese operatives "steal intellectual property" and "steal patents" as well as "manipulate the currency to give them an advantage in the export market."

Still, Comer said Trump is uniquely positioned to secure a deal.

"If anybody can do it in America, President Trump can do it," he said.

Comer also predicted artificial intelligence would be a major topic during the meetings, warning that the U.S. and China are locked in a long-term technological battle with enormous global consequences.

"I have no doubt that will be a heavy topic, and it is a race," Comer said. "Whoever emerges victorious in that is going to have a huge advantage moving forward."

GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!

Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.

You need to watch NEWSMAX today.

Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!

Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system –Go Here Now

BEST OFFER:

Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.

Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.

Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!

Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.

Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!