US defence secretary Lloyd Austin arrives in India on two-day visit

CIA Director , Meets With Chinese Leaders , Amid Increased Tension. According to an unnamed U.S. official, CIA Director William Burns traveled to Beijing to meet with his Chinese counterparts last month. According to an unnamed U.S. official, CIA Director William Burns traveled to Beijing to meet with his Chinese counterparts last month. 'The Independent' reports that the visit is the first to occur since a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down over the U.S. 'Financial Times' was the first to report on Burns' visit to Beijing. The news comes as Washington looks to ease tensions between the two largest geopolitical rivals in the world. 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, Anonymous U.S. Official, via 'The Independent'. 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, Anonymous U.S. Official, via 'The Independent'. 'The Independent' reports that the unnamed U.S. official spoke on condition of anonymity to share details of Burns' schedule, which is classified information. On June 2, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also "briefly" spoke with China's minister of national defense, Li Shangfu. The short interaction came at the opening dinner of a security forum in Singapore. China had previously rejected Austin's request for a meeting on the sidelines of the Singapore forum. . China had previously rejected Austin's request for a meeting on the sidelines of the Singapore forum. . 'The Independent' reports that Burns has gone on sensitive trips to visit U.S. adversaries at pivotal times in the past. . In 2021, Burns went to Moscow amid indications that Russia was preparing for an invasion of Ukraine.