China hopeful as Biden to name secretary of state

When asked if relations with the United States might improve with Blinken replacing Mike Pompeo, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian sidestepped the question by saying he does not comment on U.S. domestic affairs.​ He reiterated that China was willing to improve communication, strengthen cooperation and manage differences with the United States.

Biden will also likely name Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the U.N., bringing deep foreign-policy backgrounds to the nascent administration while providing a sharp contrast with current president Donald Trump, who distrusted such experience and embraced an "America First" policy that strained longstanding U.S. relationships.

Blinken could be named as early as Tuesday (November 24), according to sources close to Biden.