Xie Feng, China’s new ambassador to the U.S., addresses the media as he arrives at JFK airport in New York Metropolis, Could 23, 2023.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
China’s new ambassador to the U.S. arrived in New York Tuesday with a name to “safeguard the pursuits of China,” in accordance with a launch from the nation’s embassy within the U.S.
Xie Feng assumes workplace after a interval of about six months by which China has had no ambassador to the U.S. He was most not too long ago a vice international minister.
Xie mentioned Tuesday the bilateral relationship faces “critical difficulties and challenges,” and his mission is to “improve China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation,” the discharge mentioned in English.
The U.S. Division of State didn’t instantly reply to a CNBC request for remark.
The prior ambassador, Qin Gang, was promoted in December to turn into China’s new international minister. Earlier this month, Qin met U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns in Beijing for the primary time.
Tensions between the 2 international locations escalated in February after the U.S. shot down an alleged Chinese language spy balloon over American airspace. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had deliberate to go to Beijing round that point, however determined to postpone the journey after the balloon incident.
Over the weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned these tensions would “start to thaw very shortly.”
“We’re not trying to decouple from China, we’re trying to de-risk and diversify our relationship with China,” Biden advised reporters following the Group of Seven assembly in Hiroshima, Japan, in accordance with a White Home transcript.
Essentially the most optimistic state of affairs for a ‘thaw’ is just a halt within the decline of relations.
He didn’t talk about potential new guidelines limiting U.S. companies’ funding in superior Chinese language expertise.
“Essentially the most optimistic state of affairs for a ‘thaw’ is just a halt within the decline of relations,” Gabriel Wildau, managing director at consulting agency Teneo, mentioned in a word. “For monetary markets and multinational corporations working in China, nevertheless, such a halt can be vital.”
“Even absent concrete coverage modifications, a common sense that the downward spiral has stopped might scale back threat perceptions and unlock new funding.”