Ambassador pick emphasizes US strengths in countering China
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s pick for ambassador to Beijing has told lawmakers considering his nomination that Americans should “have confidence in our strength” when dealing with the rise of China, a nation he says the U.S. and its allies can manage. Nicholas Burns is a former senior State Department official and diplomat with decades of experience in Washington and overseas. He testified Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a time when the Biden administration is trying to swing U.S. focus overseas to managing competition with China. The post of China ambassador stands to be one of the most important for U.S. foreign policy.