New Chinese ambassador Qin Gang heads to Washington, sources say

China’s yet-to-be-announced new ambassador to the United States Qin Gang headed to Washington on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the matter, amid worsening relations between the world’s two largest economies. Qin left a day after rare high-level talks in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin between US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and senior Chinese diplomats ended with both sides reiterating existing positions and no specific outcomes reached. Relations between Beijing and Washington deteriorated sharply under former US President Donald Trump, and the Biden administration has maintained pressure on China in a stance that enjoys bipartisan support but…