Nicholas Burns approved as China envoy by US Senate
In this file photo taken on October 20, Nicholas Burns testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be Ambassador to China on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
The US Senate on Thursday confirmed veteran diplomat Nicholas Burns as ambassador to Beijing, filling a position vacant for more than a year.
The Senate reached the key 50-vote threshold to approve Burns in an ongoing confirmation that took place after Senator Marco Rubio lifted objections. The final vote was 75-18.
President Joe Biden nominated Burns in August, more than half a year into his term.
"If you're looking for a bipartisan person to put in a position, this is your guy," said Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"He's done an outstanding job, has an outstanding reputation amongst the cadre of ambassadors."
The 65-year-old served as the State Department's No. 3 official under former President George W. Bush and as the spokesperson of the department under Bill Clinton.
Burns retired from the Foreign Service in 2008 and became a professor at Harvard University.
Trump's ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, resigned in October 2020 to help the Republican president's campaign against Biden.
