R. Nicholas Burns

R. Nicholas Burns
Official portrait, 2022
13th United States Ambassador to China
Incumbent
Assumed office April 1, 2022
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	Terry Branstad
19th Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
In office March 18, 2005 – February 29, 2008
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Marc Grossman
Succeeded by	William J. Burns
19th United States Ambassador to NATO
In office August 7, 2001 – March 7, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Sandy Vershbow
Succeeded by	Victoria Nuland
United States Ambassador to Greece
In office December 22, 1997 – July 29, 2001
President	Bill Clinton George W. Bush
Preceded by	Thomas Niles
Succeeded by	Thomas Miller
16th Spokesperson for the United States Department of State
In office 1995–1997
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Mike McCurry
Succeeded by	James Rubin
Personal details
Born	Robert Nicholas Burns (1956-01-28) January 28, 1956 (age 68) Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Spouse	Elizabeth Baylies
Children	3
Education	Boston College (BA) Johns Hopkins University (MA)
R. Nicholas Burns's voice Burns's opening statement at his confirmation hearing to be United States ambassador to China Recorded October 20, 2021

Robert Nicholas Burns (born January 28, 1956) is an American diplomat and international relations scholar who has been serving as the United States ambassador to China since 2022.^[1]

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 Senate on December 16, 2021, by a vote of 75–18. He presented his credentials on April 1, 2022.