CIA Director's Secret Trip to China Amid Tense Relations

CIA Director William Burns made a secret trip to China in May to meet with Chinese counterparts and emphasize the importance of maintaining open lines of communication in intelligence channels. The US intelligence agency does not regularly announce the director's travels. Ties have been strained between the two major powers over the status of the self-governing island of Taiwan as well as Beijing's claims to parts of the South China Sea. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US is willing to engage China without preconditions to ensure that competition is managed and does not veer into conflict.