Xi-Biden
US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2023.
  • China is torn between contradictory impulses, the US ambassador said. 
  • Nicholas Burns told CBS that China is cracking down on US companies but also seeks investment. 
  • China is currently in the midst of an economic downturn after decades of growth. 

The US ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, said that China is torn between seeking foreign investment and its desire to control data about its businesses and citizens.

Speaking to Lesley Stahl on Sunday's edition of 60 Minutes, Burns said that China had launched a crackdown on US companies in China, raiding their offices and, in one case, arresting Chinese employees.