Biden's CIA nominee stresses China over Iran during Senate hearing
Ambassador William Burns said that China is the biggest challenge for the United States, but that Iran and Russia cannot be overlooked.
CIA Director nominee William Burns said Iran cannot be overlooked, but advocated for a focus on China during his nomination hearing Wednesday.
Burns, who was nominated for the top intelligence position by US President Joe Biden, went before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Wednesday.
Burns is a longtime diplomat who served in top State Department positions under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He was assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and deputy secretary of state from 2011 to 2014. In the Middle East, he was ambassador to Jordan from 1998 to 2001.
Much of the senators’ focus during the hearing was on China. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, the vice chairman of the committee, pressed Burns on the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s partnership with Chinese entities, including Tsinghua University. Burns is serving as president of the US-based think tank.
