Elaine Chao, the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), released a statement for the first time on Tuesday after she was spotted in China while her husband remains hospitalized for an apparent heart attack.

In the statement, a spokesperson for Chao said the former Transportation Secretary was already in China before McConnell was hospitalized, and his health did not “warrant” cutting her trip short.

“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors. During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the US ambassador,” the spokesperson said. “The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US.”

Chao, the daughter of a Chinese-American shipping billionaire, has since returned from her trip to China and is back in the U.S. The spokesperson did not say if she has been in contact with the senator since her return.

Chao left for China on June 12, two days before McConnell was taken to the hospital after being found unconscious and required CPR. She traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and other top officials to discuss China-US ties, according to The Daily Beast. Chao currently holds no official government positions.

McConnell’s office still hasn’t disclosed why he is hospitalized. But an audio recording obtained by independent journalist Desirée Townsend suggests that emergency responders were called to his Washington, DC, home for an “unconscious” person the same day he was hospitalized.

In the audio, the dispatcher was heard saying the call is for a “cardiac arrest,” and a paramedic is heard saying, “CPR in progress.”

In a recent statement, McConnell’s spokesperson said the lawmaker remains in the hospital and that his health is improving.

“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” a spokesperson said. “The Senator continues to improve and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”

Amid growing speculation that McConnell’s health may be substantially worse than his staff has acknowledged, Republican leaders in the Senate released statements claiming to have spoken with the 84-year-old.

“Leader Thune spoke with Sen. McConnell yesterday by phone. They had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security,” a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said.

McConnell also spoke with Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso (Wyo.).

“Senator Barrasso and Senator McConnell had a lengthy conversation early this afternoon. Their phone call lasted roughly 20 minutes. They caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal, and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending limits,” Kate Noyes, a spokesperson for Barrasso, said.