Yellen returns from China trip

Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen arrived back in Washington on Sunday from a trip aimed at de-escalating tensions between the U.S. and China. She met with officials there to discuss economic issues, national security, and climate change. At one meeting, she breached protocol by bowing repeatedly to Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, who did not return the gesture. Yellen is the second Biden administration official to visit China in the past several weeks.

Was the trip successful? Yellen claimed the trip helped put the United States on “surer footing” with China. She said the White House will try to listen more to Chinese concerns about technology and trade. But many Republicans say Washington should reject closer ties with Beijing because the Chinese Communist Party threatens world stability.

Dig Deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report in The Sift on the Chinese spy balloon that floated over the United States earlier this year.