U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with China's new ambassador to the U.S., Qin Gang, Thursday in Washington D.C.
"The Deputy Secretary reviewed issues from her meetings with PRC (People's Republic of China) officials in Tianjin last month and expressed the United States' commitment to continuing discussions," according to a statement from the State Department.
Before being named ambassador, Qin was a vice foreign minister with responsibilities over European affairs. He also served twice as spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
He is apparently known as a "fighting wolf," a term to describe Chinese diplomats known for their aggressive stance toward Western countries.
Qin replaces Cui Tiankai, who served eight years and was China's longest serving ambassador to the U.S.
Relations between the U.S. and China have been strained in recent years over trade disputes, China's ethnic cleansing of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China's assertion of control over Hong Kong, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
President Joe Biden has vowed not to allow China to replace the U.S. as the global leader under his watch.
Some information in this report comes from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
