On Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden nominated seasoned diplomat Nicholas Burns to be his country's ambassador to China and former Chicago Mayor and prominent Democrat Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan. The White House also announced the nomination of Michael Battle to head the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania. The appointment of ambassadors requires confirmation from the Senate, which is currently evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.
The U.S. embassies in Beijing and Tokyo are considered among the most important diplomatic posts, as China has become a stronger economic competitor than ever before and is a nation with growing military influence in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, while Japan has been a key ally of Washington for over half a century.
Burns previously served as Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs and was appointed ambassador to NATO and Greece. He has also worked with the Chinese government on issues related to Afghanistan and UN sanctions on Iran and North Korea, as well as U.S. policy in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Burns currently teaches international relations and diplomacy at Harvard Kennedy School, having previously lectured on U.S.-China relations. The White House stated that Burns is fluent in French and knowledgeable in Arabic and Greek, but does not speak Chinese.
In contrast, Rahm Emanuel is vying for the position of U.S. ambassador to Japan with a very different background. Emanuel gained prominence before being elected as mayor of Chicago when he was appointed by former President Barack Obama as Chief of Staff in the White House during his presidency. He also served as a Democratic Congressman from 2003 to 2009 and worked as a political advisor to President Bill Clinton during his administration. Clinton tweeted after the nominations were announced, "Rahm Emanuel and Nick Burns are smart decision-makers and seasoned leaders." Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House and a close ally of Biden, welcomed Emanuel's nomination, stating that "his extensive experience from Congress to the White House will serve our nation well as he works to strengthen one of our country's most important alliances."
