Ambassador Nicholas Burns recently returned to Harvard Kennedy School after serving as the U.S. envoy to China amidst challenging relations. During his tenure, U.S.-China interactions were compounded by the pandemic, economic challenges in China, and tough sanctions from the Biden administration regarding human rights and technology exports. Burns discussed the importance of public service and the U.S.-China relationship, expressing his commitment to returning to government for this critical diplomatic role that aligns with his long-standing belief in public service and international diplomacy.
"Public service was the main mission of my career, and it's something that I found great value in and enjoyed. The U.S.-China relationship is one of the most important, if not the most important, relationships we have, and it's highly problematic and competitive."
"It was a unique opportunity to get back into government. I felt if I'm being asked, I've got to respond, especially given the challenging context of U.S.-China relations at a time of global turmoil."
Collection
[
|
...
]