"Many people within the United States actually have little confidence in the democracy of the United States," Yang said. "Biden at the time said, it's never a good bet to bet against America," Blinken told the Chinese officials. "Sometimes you heard one thing in public but seemed to see something different -- coming from elsewhere," a senior administration official said of the Trump administration. He also unveiled a swath of sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials for their actions in Hong Kong, underscoring US impatience at Beijing's increasing aggression. "Beijing has been talking about its desire to change the tone of the relationship," a second senior administration official told reporters.

Source: CNN March 18, 2021 18:38 UTC