His new ambassador China Arrived yesterday Tuesday USA and vowed to take on the “heavy responsibility” of dealing with the “serious problems” facing relations between the two countries.

OUR Xie FengThe career diplomat, who already has extensive experience in Washington, arrived in New York yesterday, the Chinese embassy said. Replaced by Qin Gang who stepped down as ambassador to become China’s foreign minister.

“Right now, Sino-US relations are facing difficulties and serious problems,” Xie told reporters from the airport.

“I feel both a great sense of duty and a great responsibility. My colleagues and I will face challenges, take responsibility and fulfill our mission,” he added.

U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns hosted a “farewell dinner” for Xie before he left, he wrote in a Twitter post in which he spoke of the “always difficult U.S.-China relationship.” “I look forward to working with him in his new role,” Burns added.

According to his official biography, Xie, 59, is originally from Jiangsu Province and was previously Deputy Foreign Minister and Ministry Representative in Hong Kong.. He has been with the State Department since at least 1986 and has a long career with the Office of North American Affairs. In the early 2000s, he worked at the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC before taking up the post of Ambassador to Indonesia.

Relations between China and the US have deteriorated in recent years due to tensions in trade, technology, human rights, and Taiwan.

With information from APE-MPE and AFP