For years, the U.S. government has urged China to show "restraint" in pushing its claim on Taiwan and to drop military threats to bring the democratically governed island under its control. Now - some Chinese commentators say - the power of that long-held U.

Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China, also said he was leaving his post with deep concerns about the future of relations with China.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov when asked to comment on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's remarks about acquiring Greenland said on Tuesday that people of Greenland should be listened to first.