Global Challenges
Former U.S. ambassador Nicholas Burns warned that the United States risks political disadvantages against China if it fails to resolve internal divisions and build national unity.
鈥淯rgently, we鈥檝e got to rebuild ourselves at home,鈥� Burns said. 鈥淲e are a divided, disputatious, and sometimes dysfunctional darkness. A country cannot be powerful and effective overseas if it鈥檚 divided at home.鈥�
Burns, BC 鈥�78, returned to the Heights for the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics鈥� fall Clough Colloquium. After graduating from BC, Burns served as a U.S.diplomat for over 30 years, acting most recently as ambassador to China during the Biden administration. He is currently a professor of the practice at Harvard鈥檚 Kennedy School of Government.
Burns stressed the unique global influence of both the United States and China, emphasizing their geopolitical rivalry.
鈥淲e鈥檙e really the only two societies that have a full global reach, that we can have an impact because of our economic, cultural, political, and military power,鈥� Burns said.
Yet, the integrity of U.S. international relations appears to be at risk. According to Burns, current trade policies鈥攑articularly tariffs imposed on allied nations鈥攁re counterproductive, 鈥渄riving and pushing [our] allies away.鈥�
Alongside trade, the United States must reinvest in research, Burns argued. Rather than increasing funding for technological advancement, the U.S. government has substantially reduced its research budget, further harming the country鈥檚 competitive edge, according to Burns.
鈥淎t Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, or Stanford, your budgets are being cut,鈥� Burns said.聽 鈥淎t Harvard, of course, we鈥檝e had several billionsof dollars taken away鈥攂illions of dollars in research for cancer, for other diseases, for scientific breakthroughs in quantum biotech.鈥�
The repercussions of the Trump administration鈥檚 changes, such as dismantling government-funded international news sources like Radio Free Asia and Voice of America, are harming the United States by making it harder to counter China鈥檚 propaganda, Burns said.
鈥淎s China portrays its propaganda abroad鈥攁cross the world鈥攁bout how weak we are and our democracy is failing, it can鈥檛 fire back,鈥� Burns said.
Citing Abraham Lincoln鈥檚 Lyceum Address, Burns suggested that before the United States attempts to reconcile impaired relations overseas, it must first reconcile with itself.
鈥淲e have to close ranks and find a way through leadership at the national level, the state level, community level, families, here at Boston College,鈥� Burns said. 鈥淭he north south divide, the urban rural divide鈥攖hese traditions that are beginning to tear our country, to pull our country apart at the seams.鈥�
Adapted from 聽article by聽Alexa Allers '29