(FiveNation.com)- Last Friday, the State Department announced it was opening a new office within State to serve as a convening point for US policy toward Beijing while also boosting the number of diplomats focused on the People’s Republic of China.
In a statement, a State Department spokesperson explained that the “China House” will ensure that the federal government “is able to responsibly manage our competition” with China “and advance our vision for an open, inclusive international system.”
The State Department’s goal with the China House is to “help deliver on elements” of the Biden administration’s approach to China, the spokesperson said.
According to the State Department, the China House is a “key component” in Secretary Antony Blinken’s “modernization agenda” for Foggy Bottom which focuses on “equipping the Department to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of the decade ahead.”
Secretary Blinken previewed the launch of the China House earlier this year when delivering a speech about the Biden administration’s approach to China.
At the time, Blinken said the China House would provide diplomats with the tools needed to meet the challenge posed by China “head-on.”
According to a senior administration official, the new office will expand the number of diplomats focused on China. In addition to that, personnel from several agencies will also rotate through the China House, making the office an interagency effort.
A State Department spokesperson said adding this office will allow the State Department to bring together China experts “throughout the Department and beyond” who will “work shoulder to shoulder” with people from “every regional bureau” as well as “experts in international security, economics, technology, multilateral diplomacy, and strategic communications.”
The State Department’s announcement comes just weeks after President Biden met with China’s President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Bali.
Secretary of State Blinken is expected to travel to China early next year.
