Staff Reports
The recent trip to China made by CIA Director William Burns has been a cause of concern among many experts. Despite President Joe Biden sending Burns to help with deteriorating relations between America and China, it has now been revealed that he was formerly employed by a think tank in Washington that employed undisclosed members of the Chinese Communist Party. Many experts worry that Burns is vulnerable to political influence from Beijing.
According to the Financial Times, Burns may have met with Chinese Intelligence officials while in China, raising further concerns about the nature of his trip. It is not yet known if this is true, however.
Despite Burns being the most senior Biden administration official to visit China, concerns remain about the lack of interaction between the two countries. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Vienna, but Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was denied the opportunity to meet with his Chinese counterpart at the annual Asia-based Shangri-La defense summit just days before the event was due to begin.
Relations between America and China have been further strained following the discovery of a Chinese spy balloon that transited across the continental U.S., collecting data on sensitive military sites. This has led to a sharp and sudden deterioration of relations, placing further pressure on Biden and his administration to restore them to previous levels of cooperation.
@ChinaInFocusNTD's @tiffanymeier_ & I discuss #CCP influence operations
This segment overviews @POTUS' recent interaction w/ Ma "Derek" Shurong who's belonged to two alleged Chinese intel front groups: COEA & COFA
pt. 1/3@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/izCxqLoY9y
— Philip Lenczycki 蔡岳 (@LenczyckiPhilip) March 23, 2023
Despite Biden’s focus on restoring civil relations with China, it is clear that Burns’ trip has done little to ease concerns over a diplomatic thaw. It is unclear if Burns was able to make any progress in his efforts to restore relations, but it is clear that there is much work left to be done. President Biden must take clear and decisive action to restore trust and cooperation between the two countries before it is too late.
Source: The Daily Caller
