China's new ambassador to Washington, Qin Gang, on Wednesday wished the United States victory against COVID-19 and said great potential awaited bilateral relations, striking an optimistic tone as he arrived at his new post amid deeply strained ties, APA reports quoting Reuters.
Qin's arrival comes days after high-level talks in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin between U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and senior Chinese diplomats ended with both sides signaling that the other must make concessions for ties to improve.
Qin, 55, a vice foreign minister whose recent past portfolios have included European affairs and protocol, is replacing China's longest serving ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, 68, who last month announced his departure after eight years in Washington.
"I firmly believe that the door of China-U.S. relations, which is already open, cannot and should not be closed," Qin told reporters at his residence in the U.S. capital after arriving from the airport.
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