US Senate backs Biden nominee Burns to be ambassador to China
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[WASHINGTON] A majority of the US Senate on Thursday (Dec 16) backed the confirmation of President Joe Biden's nomination of Nicholas Burns to be ambassador to China, positioning the veteran diplomat for a central role in the increasingly fractious relations between the 2 global rivals.
As voting continued, the tally was 69 to 18 in favour of Burns, a former US ambassador to Nato who served as under secretary of state between 2005 and 2008.
Biden's choice of Burns, who has served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, marked a shift for the role of ambassador to Beijing, a position which recently has been filled by former politicians, not seasoned diplomats.
It was not immediately clear when Burns would head for China, or whether it would be before the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in February. The White House announced on Dec 7 that US government officials would boycott the games over China's human rights "atrocities".
REUTERS
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