Steve Daines (R-MT) Has Some Reasons For Cozying Up To China In Selling Out Tibetans

Steve Daines and Zhang Dejiang

Montana's junior Senator is Steve Daines, the former Montana state chairman for Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign. Before that he worked for Proctor & Gamble in China where his specialty was opening new factories that outsourced U.S. jobs to China and other low wage Asian countries. He's a dull, plodding backbencher and predictable rubber-stamp who's made no waves... until recently, when Daines, a member of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, was accused of being some kind of asset for his old friends in China. And the folks in Montana are reading all about it. What a shame Daines' seat isn't up next year!

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines is being accused of granting China favors that are hurtful to Tibet, following a business agreement between Montana cattle ranchers and China e-commerce giant JD.com.

In an opinion piece published Sunday in the Washington Post, columnist Josh Rogin suggested that Daines, R-Mont., had returned a favor by the Chinese Embassy on Dec. 5 by hosting delegates of the Chinese Communist Party during a Washington, D.C., visit. Chinese Premier Cui Tiankai brought commerce officials to Montana earlier this year to meet with farm and ranch groups. That meeting launched talks that lead to a beef sale

. The Communist Party delegates were in town at the same time as the exiled president of Tibet. Rogin asserted the Communist Party visitors were in town to eclipse the visit of Lobsang Sangay, the exiled Tibetan leader.

The columnist said Daines hosting the delegation was at least worth the $200 million in Montana-sourced cattle JD.com agreed to purchase. However, near the bottom of his column, Rogin noted there was no evidence of any quid pro quo or illegal behavior by Daines.

Daines said Monday that turning the Chinese Embassy down wouldn’t have accomplished anything... Rogin accused Daines of protecting China from accountability on human rights issues and prolonging the suffering of Tibetans.

In return for selling out Tibet, Daines brought home the bacon for Montana ranchers who will be supplying "$200 million worth of Montana-sourced beef to JD.com beginning in January 2018 and continuing through 2020. At a minimum, JD is expected to buy 80,000 to 90,000 cattle. Chinese investors will place an additional $100 million in Montana feedlots and a packing plant."