China’s new ambassador to the U.S. arrived in New York Tuesday with a name to “safeguard the pursuits of China,” in line with a launch from the nation’s embassy within the U.S.

Xie Feng assumes workplace after a interval of about six months wherein China has had no ambassador to the U.S. He was most just lately a vice international minister.

Xie stated Tuesday the bilateral relationship faces “critical difficulties and challenges,” and his mission is to “improve China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation,” the discharge stated in English.

The U.S. Division of State didn’t instantly reply to a CNBC request for remark.

The prior ambassador, Qin Gang, was promoted in December to grow to be China’s new international minister. Earlier this month, Qin met U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns in Beijing for the primary time.

Tensions between the 2 nations escalated in February after the U.S. shot down an alleged Chinese language spy balloon over American airspace. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had deliberate to go to Beijing round that point, however determined to postpone the journey after the balloon incident.

Over the weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden stated these tensions would “start to thaw very shortly.”

“We’re not trying to decouple from China, we’re trying to de-risk and diversify our relationship with China,” Biden instructed reporters following the Group of Seven assembly in Hiroshima, Japan, in line with a White Home transcript.

He didn’t talk about potential new guidelines limiting U.S. companies’ funding in superior Chinese language expertise.

“Probably the most optimistic state of affairs for a ‘thaw’ is just a halt within the decline of relations,” Gabriel Wildau, managing director at consulting agency Teneo, stated in a observe. “For monetary markets and multinational firms working in China, nonetheless, such a halt could be vital.”

“Even absent concrete coverage adjustments, a common sense that the downward spiral has stopped might cut back threat perceptions and unlock new funding.”