After China's top diplomat called for dialogue with Washington, the U.S. secretary of state says he discussed with his new Chinese counterpart maintaining "open lines of communication" between the two countries
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday he had discussed with his new Chinese counterpart Chen Gang to maintain open lines of communication between the two countries.
Blinken said in a tweet that he spoke with Chen Gang as he left Washington to take up his new post, adding that “the relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China has been discussed and open lines of communication maintained
Two days ago, China announced the appointment of its ambassador to Washington, Qin Gang, as the new foreign minister, succeeding Luang Yi, who has been in office since 2013.
Wang Yi was appointed director of the General Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Committee, the Communist Party’s highest position in foreign policy.
Earlier in the day, Wang Yi, in a New Year's message, pledged to work to correct the course in U.S.-China relations, but also vowed to fight "all forms of hegemony."
China calls on the United States to stop undermining global strategic stability and take responsibility for nuclear disarmament.
Wang's tenure as foreign minister has seen tensions between Beijing and Washington rise sharply on a wide range of issues ranging from trade to Taiwan