US Ambassador to China Nominee Calls Out CCP’s Aggression

Nicholas Burns, the Biden administration’s nominee to the U.S. ambassador to China, called the CCP retired connected its show of aggression connected the planetary signifier arsenic good arsenic abuses connected Tibet and Taiwan astatine an Oct. 20 confirmation hearing.

The Confirmation Hearing for Ambassadors to China and Japan was held connected Capitol Hill successful Washington.

The proceeding saw senators question Burns connected a big of topics including countering the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Partry (CCP), its quality rights abuses, the United States’ stance connected Taiwan–China relations, and different U.S. interests concerning China.

Burns, 65, said Beijing should beryllium challenged “when it takes actions that tally antagonistic to American values and American interests. Actions that mightiness endanger the information of the agreed states oregon our allies and partners oregon undermine the rules-based planetary order.”

Burns said the Biden medication intends to “uphold a escaped and unfastened Indo-pacific” by “maintaining America’s commercialized and subject superiority successful twenty-first-century technologies.”

He besides emphasized holding the CCP accountable for “failing to play by the rules connected commercialized and investment,” its “theft of intelligence property, usage of authorities subsidies, dumping of goods and unfair labour practices.”

While Burns called the CCP retired connected its bullying of Taiwan arsenic good arsenic “its genocide, and abuses successful Tibet,” helium said that the “United States is close to proceed its 1 China policy.”

The U.S. authorities and quality rights groups person often termed the CCP’s attraction of Uyghur Muslims successful its Xinjiang portion “genocide” contempt denials from the CCP.

Regarding Taiwan–China relations, Burns projected helping Taiwan to “maintain a aforesaid defence capability.”

If appointed arsenic the U.S. ambassador of China, Burns said the Biden medication volition “cooperate with the [CCP]” connected clime change, counternarcotics, planetary wellness and, non-proliferation.

Regarding the Phase One Trade Agreement betwixt the Trump medication and the CCP successful January 2020, Burns said the CCP should beryllium held accountable for the woody which includes buying $468 cardinal of U.S. goods, energy, agriculture, and services implicit a two-year period.

When asked astir options to guarantee that the CCP fulfills the presumption of the agreement, Burns said that the dialog should beryllium initiated by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who made remarks regarding the contented connected Oct. 4.

Burns has worked for some the Republican and Democrat parties passim the 27 years of his vocation successful the U.S. government.

He was antecedently a subordinate of Secretary of State John Kerry’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board for 5 years, and the Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Affairs and Special Assistant to Bill Clinton for 5 years.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China’s overseas ministry, connected Thursday said Burn’s remarks showed “Cold War zero-sum mentality.”

“We reason defining China-U.S. ties arsenic competitive,” helium said, adding that helium hopes Burns “will talk and enactment successful a much constructive manner.”

Eva Fu contributed to this report.