On January 1, 2023, Ambassador Qin Gang, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the phone. Ambassador Qin bid farewell to the Secretary and recalled the several candid, in-depth and constructive meetings between them during his tenure as Chinese Ambassador. He expressed the hope to continue close working relations with Secretary Blinken for a better China-US relationship. The two sides also exchanged New Year's greetings in the call.