Incoming Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang

Incoming Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was barred from entering the US by the Biden administration. But that all changed last week, when Chinese President Xi Jinping named Qin as the country's next Foreign Minister, causing the administration a dilemma at a time of heightened tension between Washington and Beijing, a report published by Politico suggested.

The issues will be front and center when Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits China in the coming weeks, the report added.

“I think that there are probably those within the administration that feel chagrined that they did not extend the courtesies [to Qin] that normally would be extended to an ambassador,” said Craig Allen, president of the US-China Business Council as quoted by Politico.

Over the last 17 months, Qin did not receive all of the meetings he requested with key administration officials, though the US administration did ease limitations on Qin's access in the run-up to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's controversial trip to Taiwan in August. But, after failing to connect with the Biden administration, he returns to Beijing this week to head China's foreign ministry.

The report asserted that Qin's promotion demonstrates that he has Xi's trust, which he illustrated in October when he appointed Qin to the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee.

Qin took over for Wang Yi, who was nominated to lead the Central Foreign Affairs Commission by Xi last week. Qin's successor would be named "after appropriate procedures," according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning.

'Wolf warrior' diplomat appointed as new Chinese FM

Chinese state media had reported in late December that Beijing nominated US ambassador Qin Gang as its next foreign minister, appointing a senior official renowned for speaking out strongly against the West as a successor for Wang Yi.

Since last year, Qin has served as Beijing's top diplomat in Washington, where he was tasked with repairing the deteriorating ties between the two largest economies in the world.

Chinese diplomats who have responded firmly and strongly to hostile Western nations are often dubbed "wolf warriors." Qin earned that reputation given his vehement responses to Washington during his years there.

In 2020, the newly appointed minister noted, China's reputation in the West had worsened because Europeans and Americans, particularly their media, had never embraced the country's governmental structure or its rapid economic growth.

Qin, a native English speaker, raised his visibility in Washington by making public and media appearances and outlining China's viewpoint. He had previously worked as a foreign ministry spokesperson for China.

According to a State Department official, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken "expects to continue a productive working relationship with Foreign Minister Qin in his new role" and that Blinken planned to visit Beijing early in 2023 as tensions decreased.

"The United States will continue to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage the US-PRC relationship," the spokesperson said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

It is also worth noting that between 2018 and last year, he also served as vice-minister of foreign affairs.