Biden’s CIA pick vows to focus on a rising China

CIA Director nominee William Burns said on Wednesday that, if confirmed by the Senate, competing with China and countering a “formidable authoritarian adversary” in Beijing would be the central focus of his tenure.

"Out-competing China will be key to our national security in the days ahead," Burns testified at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. “That will require a long-term clear-eyed bipartisan strategy underpinned by domestic renewal and solid intelligence.”

For the CIA, “that will mean intensified focus and urgency, continually strengthening its already impressive cadre of China specialists, expanding its language skills, aligning personnel and resource allocation for the long haul and employing a whole of agency approach to the operational and analytical challenges of this crucial threat,” he said.

Burns, 64, who has been previously confirmed by the Senate five times over his lifelong government career, was expected to sail to confirmation as director of the nation's premier intelligence agency, even though he doesn't have a background in the spy community.

CIA Deputy Director David Cohen is serving as acting director as Burns awaits confirmation.

Broadly on Wednesday, Burns vowed to boost morale among a workforce that was a frequent target of former President Donald Trump, improve the CIA’s technological tools and bolster partnerships across the federal government and intelligence agencies around the globe.

In his opening statement, Burns, a respected veteran diplomat who most recently served as the deputy secretary of State in the Obama administration, stressed that intelligence must not be political — a distinction made by now-Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines during her confirmation hearing last month.

“I learned that good intelligence delivered with honesty and integrity is America's first line of defense,” Burns said. “And I learned that politics must stop where intelligence work begins. That is exactly what President Biden expects of CIA. It was the first thing he told me when he asked me to take on this role. He said he wants the agency to give it to him straight and I pledged to do just that and to defend those who do the same.”

Burns was pressed by Republicans and Democrats alike on how he would handle China, which the panel's top Republican, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, asserted “wants to replace” the U.S. as the world’s dominant nation, economically and militarily.

“It's hard for me to see a more significant threat or challenge the United States as far out as I can see into the 21st century than” China, Burns said in reply to a question from Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) “It is the biggest geopolitical test that we face.”

He called the evolution of Chinese President Xi Jinping over the last several years “a very sharp wake-up call,” adding Beijing’s "aggressive undisguised ambition and assertiveness" has made clear the nature of Chinese intentions.

Still, Burns said, China’s “wolf warrior diplomacy” has opened the eyes of allies and partners about the nature of the threat posed by the Communist government.

Burns, a Russian speaker who served as the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008, was asked to weigh in on Moscow’s malign behavior, especially in cyberspace following the sprawling SolarWinds hack that the U.S. intelligence community has tentatively attributed to the Kremlin.

"Most of my white hair came from serving in Russia over the years. ... It's always a mistake to underestimate [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's Russia," Burns said.

Russia may be a declining power, he warned, but the U.S. must be “cold-eyed” about the threats posed by the former Cold War rival.

Burns recalled witnessing a denial-of-service attack on Estonia by Russia while he was ambassador and described the SolarWinds campaign as a “very harsh wake-up call for all of us about the vulnerability of our supply chains.”

It's “essential," he added, for the CIA to “work even harder to develop our capabilities to detect these kinds of attacks” and build "rules of the road" that assert critical infrastructure are "off-limits" to digital assaults.

Burns, who played a key role in the Obama administration’s effort to forge a nuclear deal with Iran that was eventually scrapped under Trump, also said that Tehran couldn’t be trusted with an atomic weapon.

"It's absolutely important for the United States to continue to do everything we can to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon,” he told Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Burns pledged to “get to the bottom” of those responsible for the so-called Havana syndrome that has caused brain injuries and other ailments to a number of CIA personnel around the world — though many officers believe Russia was responsible or involved in the effort.

He promised to provide victims health care, including at the National Institutes of Health, and also raised providing care and attention for CIA's paramilitary officers.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and other panelists pressed Burns on the CIA’s abandoned torture programs.

“I believe that waterboarding does constitute torture under the law,” Burns replied, stressing that enhanced interrogation techniques would not be used under his leadership.

Former Secretary of State Jim Baker, who introduced Burns to the committee, said his confirmation as CIA director should be a "bipartisan no-brainer.”

Senate Intelligence Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) concluded the hearing by noting that Burns enjoys a great amount of “positive approval” from the panel.