China ‘biggest geopolitical test’ for US, says Joe Biden’s East Asia nominee, Daniel Kritenbrink
- Remarks come during the long-time US diplomat’s confirmation hearing to become assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs
- ‘The ongoing genocide in Xinjiang shocks the conscience,’ Kritenbrink tells US lawmakers
This time, the comments came from Daniel Kritenbrink, a long-time US diplomat in Asia and Biden’s nominee to be assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.
Speaking at his confirmation hearing, Kritenbrink cited a laundry list of US concerns about Beijing’s foreign aggression and domestic repression under the leadership of Xi Jinping, including unfair trade practices, corruption and human rights abuses.
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“We will continue holding Chinese authorities responsible for the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang, the trampling of autonomy and civil liberties in Hong Kong and systematic repression in Tibet,” Kritenbrink said.
“We will bolster partners’ capacity to resist PRC intimidation and oppose China’s unlawful maritime claims,” he added, referring to territorial disputes between Beijing and its neighbours in the South China Sea.
Senators from both parties peppered Kritenbrink with questions about the US’ relationship with Taiwan, amid China’s increasing threats towards the democratic island, which Beijing claims as its own.
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They focused in particular on whether the US should continue its policy of “strategic ambiguity” – the deliberately unclear stance on whether and how the US would intervene if Taiwan were attacked by the Chinese military.
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s ministry of defence reported that 28 Chinese military aircraft had flown into the Taiwanese air defence identification zone, an area that surrounds the island, outside its formal borders.
According to Associated Press, it was the largest incursion yet by China’s air force since they started happening on a near-daily basis last year.
“Maintenance of that status quo and of that security is a dynamic situation,” Kritenbrink said. “As the threat from the PRC grows, as Beijing’s aggressive and bullying behaviour vis-à-vis Taiwan grows, I think that our response has to be calibrated as well.”
Kritenbrink appeared to have the support of members of both parties on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, a reflection of the rare bipartisan agreement that exists on China policy in the otherwise highly polarised Capitol.
“I think you are the perfect person to be brought forward for this position,” said Senator Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee.
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Kritenbrink said he has spent 27 years in the US foreign service, with 24 of those years engaged in Asia. That included a stint as the deputy chief of mission in the American embassy in Beijing.
He speaks fluent Chinese and Japanese, and most recently served as the ambassador to Vietnam during the Trump administration.
He may be best known for releasing a viral rap video online this year celebrating Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday.
