diplomacy

Qin Gang brought a tougher style to China's foreign ministry pulpit. Now he is Beijing's man in Washington, inheriting a hard post amid the most fraught relations in years between China and the U.S.

The June 16 Geneva summit between President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin is a chance for the two leaders to map out how they will manage a difficult relationship. Here's what to know.

The order came Tuesday, amid concerns about heightened violence as U.S. and NATO troops depart Afghanistan. U.S. officials would not confirm the number of those leaving but insisted it would be small.

As the U.S. tries to enlist allies to help meet the challenges posed by China, perhaps no nation is more central than Japan. Suga is the first foreign leader to meet face-to-face with President Biden.

April 10 marks the 50th anniversary of when U.S. table tennis players first visited China in a diplomatic breakthrough. But today, the political winds have shifted — in both countries.

The Senate confirmed Antony Blinken as President Biden's secretary of state on Tuesday. The vote was 78-22. As the top U.S. diplomat, Blinken will face an array of national security challenges.

"Humility and confidence should be the flip sides of America's leadership coin," Antony Blinken testified at his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, where he vowed to work for the "greater good."

Iran has announced new nuclear steps aimed at the incoming Biden administration, but the U.S. has leverage to push back, argues analyst Henry Rome.

Mike Pompeo's critics see his trip to Georgia, less than a month before key Senate runoff races, as another example of the secretary of state breaking norms by getting involved in domestic politics.

Earlier this year, Alexander Lukashenko had tried to offset Kremlin pressure by pursuing rapprochement with Western nations. Now he is directing attacks toward the West and has turned to Russia again.

If the deal holds, the United Arab Emirates will be the first Gulf state to normalize relations with Israel, but there are many potential bumps in the road, writes Aaron David Miller.

The U.S. "not only has a higher percentage of political ambassadors, but has a higher percentage ... who don't seem to be temperamentally or intellectually suited for the work," says an ex-diplomat.