Immanuel, New US Ambassador to South Korea, Says "China Is Not a Good Neighbor"

Ram Emanuel, Newly Appointed U.S. Ambassador to South Korea
[Photo by AP News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Lam Emanuel, the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Japan, who is about to assume his post, said regarding issues surrounding Hong Kong and the South China Sea, "China is not a good neighbor."

Ambassador Emanuel made this statement during an interview with NHK in Washington DC on the 5th (local time).

He said, "China is not an entity that promotes regional interests," and emphasized, "The U.S. and Japan, which share the value of democracy, must demonstrate that they can contribute to regional development."

Regarding U.S.-Japan relations, he stated, "The two democratic countries are facing an important phase to develop common values," expressing his intention to strengthen bilateral relations in response to China's expanding influence.

Ambassador Emanuel was confirmed by the Senate on the 18th of last month (local time), about four months after being officially nominated by President Joe Biden, and is expected to assume his post soon.

He said, "President Biden asked me to take the position of Ambassador to Japan in December of the year before last, before the new administration took office," adding, "Japan is an important country to the U.S., and given that prominent figures have served as Ambassador to Japan, I considered it a very significant responsibility."

He continued, "Going forward, I will work sincerely and honestly to strengthen bilateral relations and address common challenges, while listening to the other side's opinions."

Ambassador Emanuel, who served as the first White House Chief of Staff under the Barack Obama administration, was twice mayor of Chicago, Obama's political hometown, from 2011 to 2019.

Japanese media analyzed President Biden's appointment of Emanuel, a close aide and known as "Obama's right-hand man," as a move to further strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance.

Meanwhile, the position of U.S. Ambassador to Japan has been vacant since July 2019 during President Donald Trump's administration, when then-Ambassador William Hagerty resigned to run for the Senate. Currently, the post is managed by Acting Ambassador Joseph Young.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.