WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - CIA director William Burns visited China last month for talks with Chinese counterparts, two U.S. officials said on Friday as Washington seeks to boost communications with Beijing.
Burns, a veteran U.S. diplomat before leading the CIA, has made dozens of sensitive overseas trips as head of the agency, including to hold talks with Russian counterparts, as well as the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The CIA, which does not regularly announce such visits, declined to comment on the China trip.
Ties between the world's two largest economies are strained over issues ranging from Taiwan and China's human rights record to military activity in the South China Sea.
"That's why we're also ready to engage China without preconditions, helping ensure that competition is managed, and that competition does not veer into conflict," Sullivan said.
Persons:
William Burns, Burns, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Biden, Lloyd Austin, National Defense Li Shangfu, Li, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, we're, Wang Yi, Michael Martina, Jonathan Landay, David Brunnstrom, Susan Heavey, Tim Ahmann, Alistair Bell, Matthew Lewis, Don Durfee
Organizations:
CIA, Washington, Reuters, Financial Times, Russian, Blinken, U.S . Defense, China's, National Defense, Pentagon, White House, People's, Arms Control, Thomson
Locations:
China, Beijing, Washington, Afghanistan, U.S, Taiwan, South China, . U.S, Singapore, Austin, People's Republic of China, Vienna