Biden Announces Former East Asia-Pacific Deputy Assistant Secretary Campbell as 'Asia Czar'

by Kwon Jaehee

Published 13 Jan.2021 15:51(KST)

▲Kurt Campbell, former U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] President-elect Joe Biden plans to appoint veteran foreign policy expert Kurt Campbell, former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, to the newly created position of "Asia Czar," according to major foreign media reports on the 13th.

Major foreign media outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported that Biden is expected to announce this decision soon.

It was previously reported that Biden is considering creating a new position within the White House, which is interpreted as a response to the increasing importance of addressing China's extensive challenges.

The Biden administration faces various challenges ahead of its official launch, ranging from the Chinese government's crackdown on the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement to the US-China trade dispute. In particular, the increasing pressure on China during the final months of President Donald Trump's term is also becoming a burden for the newly inaugurated Biden administration.

In this context, appointing former Assistant Secretary Campbell as the "Asia Czardom" is interpreted as indicating that the US policy toward China will not differ significantly from that of the Trump administration.

Campbell has taken a tough stance on China. In an article he contributed to Foreign Affairs magazine two years ago, he argued that "the formulation of US foreign policy toward China clearly needs to be reconsidered." Additionally, during an interview with The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in September last year, when he served as a senior advisor to then-candidate Biden, Campbell stated, "There is broad consensus within the Democratic Party that the Trump administration has accurately grasped the predatory practices of China on a large scale."