Outgoing US Envoy to China Says Fentanyl Efforts on ‘Right Road’

America’s top diplomat in China said he spends 80% of his time on competition with Beijing and 20% on engagement, calling it the right balance just as Washington prepares for a new administration.

This approach has helped stabilize ties between the world’s two largest economies even as they continue to clash over issues including China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, alleged cyberattacks and the “bullying” of its neighbors, outgoing Ambassador Nicholas Burns said in a Friday interview.

Nicholas Burns

Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

Burns, who’s been in Beijing since March 2022 amid a low point in US-China relations, refrained from commenting on what the ...