WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following three individuals to serve as U.S. ambassadors:

Michael Battle, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Republic of Tanzania
R. Nicholas Burns, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China
Rahm Emanuel, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan

Michael Battle, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Republic of Tanzania

Dr. Michael Battle had a distinguished career of public service spanning four decades as a diplomat, in academia, in the faith community and as a military chaplain. Battle was Executive Vice President/Provost at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Prior to that, he served as a Senior Advisor to the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State for the U.S. Africa Leader’s Summit in 2014. He also was the United States Representative to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the U.S. Ambassador to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Earlier in his career Battle’s positions included service as the President of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia and chair of The Robert W. Woodruff Library of The Atlanta University. Additionally, he served for 20 years as a Chaplain in the United States Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1997. Battle received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College, a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Howard University.

R. Nicholas Burns, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the People’s Republic of China

Ambassador (ret.) Nicholas Burns, a respected former career member of the Foreign Service, currently serves as Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He is also Executive Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Security Forum and Senior Counselor at the Cohen Group. During his State Department career, Burns served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Ambassador to NATO and to Greece, State Department Spokesman, and on the National Security Council staff on Soviet and Russian Affairs. As Under Secretary, he worked with the Chinese government on issues as diverse as Afghanistan, United Nations Sanctions against Iran, North Korea ,and U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific. At the Aspen Strategy Group, he organized a policy dialogue with the Chinese government’s Central Party School. He has taught, written, and spoken on current U.S.-China relations. Burns earned his B.A. degree from Boston College and an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. His numerous awards include a Presidential Distinguished Service Award and the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award. He speaks fluent French and has familiarity with Arabic and Greek.

Rahm Emanuel, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan

Rahm Emanuel, former Mayor of the City of Chicago and White House Chief of Staff to President Obama, has had a distinguished career in public service. As Mayor, he oversaw increased economic development that revitalized the city and helped solidify its status as a global hub of culture and commerce. He ensured Chicago was a leader on the global stage, hosting the 2012 NATO summit, leading the continent in foreign direct investment for six consecutive years, convening mayors worldwide to commit to the Chicago Climate Charter of 2017 and helping establish the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Mayors Forum on Global Cities. He previously served as Chief of Staff to President Obama, where he helped secure the passage of landmark legislation, including Dodd-Frank and the Affordable Care Act, and advised President Obama on all key national security decisions during the President’s first two years. From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Emanuel served in the U.S. House of Representatives where he held a number of leadership positions. Mr. Emanuel also served President Clinton as Assistant to the President for Political Affairs and Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy. He is currently national chair of the Advisory Council of Youth Guidance’s Becoming a Man (BAM) mentoring program. He graduated with a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. from Northwestern University.

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