Dingell, Democrats urge Trump to keep Chinese autos out of U.S. market Washington — Ahead of a key U.S.-China meeting, several efforts are brewing on Capitol Hill to urge President Donald Trump to bar Chinese automakers from accessing the U.S. market. One of those efforts, led by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, entered the public eye Tuesday as she announced a letter from 73 House Democrats on the topic some two weeks ahead of Trump's anticipated talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. "As you prepare for your upcoming summit with the President of the People’s Republic of China, any effort to lower barriers for Chinese automobiles or otherwise facilitate their entry into the U.S. market would pose a direct threat to American manufacturing, workers, and national security," the letter states. "This must remain a firm and non-negotiable priority." There is a similar effort brewing among House Republicans; a forthcoming legislative proposal by U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno to solidify a ban on Chinese autos; and a letter already sent to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week by Moreno and other Republican senators, according to Politico. The missives come as concerns have deepened in Washington, Detroit and elsewhere in the U.S. automotive heartland over the growing global power of China's auto industry, especially after Canada reached a new trade deal allowing the import and sale of a set number of Chinese electric vehicles. "China, which subsidizes its manufacturing, manipulates its currency, and uses slave labor, among other things, cannot be allowed in. We have to play on a level playing field," Dingell told The Detroit News in a Capitol Hill interview. The Ann Arbor Democrat is a longtime voice for the auto industry in Washington. "We owe our workers that level playing field. And China being allowed to manufacture in this