CIA director Bill Burns travelled to China last month, a clandestine visit by one of President Joe Biden’s most trusted officials that signals how concerned the White House had become about deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington.
Five people familiar with the situation said Burns, a former top diplomat who is frequently entrusted with delicate overseas missions, travelled to China for talks with officials. Another person stressed that Burns did not have any diplomatic engagements, and only met intelligence officials.
The trip by Burns, the most senior Biden administration official to visit China, came amid Washington’s push for high-level engagements with Beijing to try to stabilise the relationship.