
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
- Grand Strategy Down Under · May 26, 2026 · 53 min
- A New Security Consensus in South Korea? · May 12, 2026 · 47 min
- How Does Southeast Asia View U.S.–China Competition? · May 1, 2026 · 40 min
- The Iran War and Strategic Competition in Asia · April 7, 2026 · 43 min
- Holding the Line: Denial Defense Along the First Island Chain · March 18, 2026 · 44 min
- Crucial Partners: the Volatile and Indispensable U.S.-India Linkage · February 24, 2026 · 53 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Asia Chessboard podcast page.