Scott Highlights Chinese Protests as Trump and Xi Negotiate Trade, Tariffs

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) highlighted suppressed news of protests in China in a post to X (formerly Twitter), as President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are reportedly negotiating trade and tariffs this week.

"Xi and his illegitimate regime will stop at nothing to silence these protestors and stop these photos from getting out because their grip on power is weakening by the day," said Sen. Scott, adding, "It's time we shine a light on what's really going on—Communist China is our enemy, and the CCP's crimes and human rights abuse do not go unnoticed."

Sen. Scott retweeted an article from The Epoch Times noting that strikes and protests are occurring throughout China, with notable incidents in Chengdu, Dongguan, Zhangjiagang, and other cities, which have arisen from illegal cost-cutting measures implemented by companies that the government overlooks.

"When businesses face financial pressure, they're still legally required to protect workers' rights," a researcher within the article said, adding, "However, local officials often side with employers and suppress workers' demands. That's not stabilizing society—it's turning it into a pressure cooker."

The Florida Senator's remarks about "shining a light on what's really going on" reference the suppression of news about these protests in Chinese media.

President Trump recently announced he had discussed the resumption of negotiations with Xi Jinping after a 90-minute phone call, somewhat ironically, after saying the Chinese leader is "very tough and extremely hard to make a deal with."

"I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!" said Trump in a Truth Social post.

In May, Scott introduced the Countering Corrupt Political Influence (CCP) Act, which would require China, Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, and North Korea to report to the US State Department of any planned entry into the United States 96 hours in advance.

"The United States is facing threats from adversaries around the world who want to destroy our way of life," the Florida Senator said. "Xi and the Communist Chinese Party have blatantly spied on the United States, stolen our research and intellectual data, and attempted to infiltrate the inner workings of government to the regime's interests."