Amb. Nicholas Burns – Allies, Partners, and the U.S.-China Relationship

Amb. Nicholas Burns – Allies, Partners, and the U.S.-China Relationship

From The Asia Chessboard by Center for Strategic and International Studies

October 7, 2025 · 40 min

About this episode

Mike speaks with Nicholas Burns about the complexities of U.S.-China relations and the role of allies in the Indo-Pacific.

Mike speaks with Nicholas Burns, Managing Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Burns previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China from 2021-2025. They discuss where we are in U.S.-China relations, how the relationship has become much more complicated in recent years, how the U.S. is working with allies and partners in the region, their vital role in supporting U.S. strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific, and much more.

People in this episode

Host: Mike

Guest: Nicholas Burns

Topics covered

  • U.S.-China relations
  • diplomacy
  • international relations
  • strategic interests
  • allies and partners
  • Indo-Pacific

Keywords

  • U.S.-China relations
  • diplomacy
  • Nicholas Burns
  • Indo-Pacific
  • international relations
  • strategic interests
  • allies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Harvard University, Center for Strategic and International Studies

Places: People's Republic of China, U.S., Indo-Pacific

More episodes of The Asia Chessboard

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Asia Chessboard podcast page.