New Chinese envoy arrives in Washington amid frayed ties with US

Qin Gang, the new Ambassador of China to the United States, arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday to assume office.

"The door of China-US relations, which is already open, cannot be closed. This is the trend of the world, the call of the times, and the will of the people," Qin Gang told media upon his arrival, as quoted by Global Times.

He also noted that bilateral ties have come to a "new critical juncture", facing many challenges.

Qin is the 11th Chinese ambassador to the US. Prior to his ambassadorship, Qin was Chinese vice foreign minister. His predecessor, Ambassador Cui Tiankai, completed his tenure and returned to China on June 23.

Cui Tiankai left Washington, at a time when tensions between the two countries have heightened. Cui was the longest-serving ambassador to the US and held the post for over eight years.