US Senate confirms Asia hand Kurt Campbell as country’s No 2 diplomat, underscoring US efforts to keep focus on China
- Kurt Campbell’s selection for the position reflected the importance of the US-China relationship
- His most recent roles include coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council
US Senators on Tuesday confirmed a veteran of US-Asian engagement and security as the State Department’s second-ranking diplomat, in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote.
The approval of US President Joe Biden’s nomination of Kurt Campbell as deputy secretary of state underscores decades of efforts by Biden and his modern predecessors to turn the United States’ main foreign policy focus to China as the big challenge for America going forward.
Hamas’ October 7 attacks and the Israeli offensive and regional fighting that followed have made Biden only the latest US leader forced to pivot attention back to Middle East conflicts, however.
The Senate approved Campbell 92-5 in a show of bipartisan support. Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont joined the Republicans voting no.
Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on December 7 after his nomination, Campbell pointed to the security significance of the date – the anniversary of a surprise attack from Asia, by Japan, that drew the United States into World War II.