R. Nicholas Burns

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Robert Nicholas Burns (born January 28, 1956) is an American diplomat and international relations scholar. He served as the United States ambassador to China from 2022 to 2025. He is now the Goodman Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Burns has had a 25-year career in the State Department and has served as under secretary of state for political affairs. Appointed by President George W. Bush, he was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 17, 2005, and was sworn into office by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. As under secretary, he oversaw the bureaus responsible for U.S. policy in each region of the world and served in the senior career Foreign Service position at the department. He retired on April 30, 2008. He was a visiting scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in summer 2008. President Joe Biden nominated Burns to be ambassador to China in August 2021. He was confirmed by the...

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