Biden to nominate Nicholas Burns as ambassador to China

Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai (L) has a conversation with former U.S. Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns at Grand Rapids, the United States, Feb. 8, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Nicholas Burns served as under secretary of state for political affairs from 2005 to 2008, the third-ranking official in the State Department.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- President Joe Biden intends to nominate Nicholas Burns, a Harvard professor and veteran diplomat, to serve as U.S. ambassador to China, the White House said on Friday.

Burns, 65, currently is an international relations professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

He previously held senior positions in both Democratic and Republican administrations in his 27 years' government service and capped his career by serving as under secretary of state for political affairs from 2005 to 2008, the third-ranking official in the State Department.

He was U.S. ambassador to NATO from 2001 to 2005, and before that he served as State Department spokesman and ambassador to Greece. He also worked for National Security Council at the White House under then presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, according to the State Department.

Biden also picked Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago Mayor and White House Chief of Staff under former President Barack Obama, as ambassador to Japan.

Both nominations require Senate confirmation.