Nicholas Burns, who served as U.S. Ambassador to China during the Biden administration, spoke this week at the four-day Aspen Security Forum, the annual nonpartisan forum where traditionally government officials and journalists discuss global security issues, presented by Aspen Institute.
Ambassador Burns, who is co-chair of the Aspen Strategy Group at the forum with former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said of the on-going Russia-China alliance and China’s role: “When they told me they’re neutral in the war. They’re not neutral…They want Russia to win.”
"I was exacerbated by the Chinese…When they told me they're neutral in the war. They're not neutral…They want Russia to win," @RNicholasBurns tells @zannymb @TheEconomist on the Russia-China alliance. #AspenSecurity
— Aspen Security Forum (@AspenSecurity) July 15, 2025
[Note: One day prior to the Aspen Security Forum start on Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it would not participate in the forum. Pentagon spokesperson Kingsley Wilson said the event “promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States.”]
At Aspen, Burns — who also served as U.S. Ambassador to NATO and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs for President George W. Bush, and U.S. Ambassador to Greece and Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department for President Bill Clinton — said of the current administration’s approach to China: “President Trump is right to be tough-minded. I see him headed for a deal with China.”
While Burns and Trump don’t see eye-to-eye on all policies (including the mass firing of more than 1300 State Department diplomats, which Burns said was “a needless, indefensible and historic mistake”), in March, Burns said Trump “was correct to put tariffs on China” as “the Chinese have not done enough on fentanyl” and “have been so aggressive in trying to dump their EVs and solar panels and lithium batteries on the American market.”
“We tried to cooperate, but the consensus is: live in peace with China but compete with China,” said fmr US Amb to China @RNicholasBurns, before adding that he came back from his posting in Beijing “more hawkish.” @AspenSecurity pic.twitter.com/SCEhjUuDlz
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) July 15, 2025
Note: In February, Burns rejoined The Cohen Group, a group of U.S. business and policy leaders “who share the goal of constructively engaging with China in order to improve U.S.-China relations,” which was founded by Republican William Cohen, former U.S. Secretary of Defense during the second Clinton administration.
