In call with Blinken, new China foreign minister hopes to better ties with US

Beijing, Jan 2 (EFE).- China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang has spoken with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, hoping to “improve” strained ties between the two global powers.

Qin, the incoming foreign minister, who was appointed last week after leading the Chinese embassy in Washington for 18 months, spoke with Blinken on Sunday, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday.

“Foreign Minister Qin Gang bid farewell to Blinken and recalled that he had several candid, in-depth, and constructive meetings with (the US Secretary of State) during his tenure as ambassador to the US,” the statement said.

Qin said he was looking forward to maintaining “a close working relationship with Blinken and improving Sino-US ties.”

Biinken earlier tweeted about the telephonic conversation, saying he “discussed the US-PRC relationship and maintaining open lines of communication” with Qin “as he departs Washington for his new role.”

Qin, 56, was appointed as the new foreign minister by the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Friday.

He replaces Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat for the past decade.

Wang was elected to the politburo of the Chinese Communist Party in October. He is tipped to play a bigger role in Chinese foreign policy.

Qin has worked in the Chinese foreign ministry since 1992, where he was a spokesperson before ascending to the position of vice minister of foreign affairs, overseeing Europe, information, and protocol.

Qin has been the Chinese Ambassador in the US since July 2021.

China-US relations deteriorated after then-US President Donald Trump’s decisions triggered a trade war in 2018. EFE

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