‘CIA chief made secret trip to Beijing last month’

WASHINGTON: CIA Director William Burns made a secret trip to China last month hoping to shore up lines of communication with Beijing amid a deep chill in bilateral relations, a US official said Friday.

“Last month, Director Burns traveled to Beijing where he met with Chinese counterparts and emphasized the importance of maintaining open lines of communication in intelligence channels,” the official said on grounds of anonymity. The official provided no other specifics on the timing of the visit or who Burns met.