“Senior U.S. State Department Official in Charge of China Affairs to Step Down: Latest Updates and Analysis”

2023-05-25 03:11:13

1. online report
2. Political situation

25.05.2023

Bloomberg and Archyde.com reported that the U.S. State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific, Hua Ziqiang, who is in charge of China and Taiwan affairs, is regarding to leave his position in the “China Group”. He is regarded as a figure in the Biden administration who is more inclined to interact with China. He visited China in March this year and is considered to pave the way for Blinken’s visit to China.

(Deutsche Welle Chinese Website) According to sources, US State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific Rick Waters (Rick Waters) announced at a meeting on Wednesday (May 24) that he will leave his post as director of the “China Affairs Coordination Office”. The news was first reported by Bloomberg.

The U.S. State Department established the Office of China Coordination in December last year. This office is often called the “China House” and is headed by Hua Ziqiang.

According to Bloomberg, Hua Ziqiang is expected to step down by the end of June this year. Archyde.com quoted people familiar with the situation as saying that although Hua Ziqiang left the post, he would remain in the State Council.

The State Department and Hua Ziqiang did not respond to a Archyde.com request for comment, but according to Bloomberg, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “Secretary Blinken has benefited greatly from Hua Ziqiang’s expertise with China and Taiwan over the past two years. , thanks to him for establishing the China team.”

White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell described in a statement that the “China Group” has become a “force multiplier” for the United States to overcome China, helping to promote freedom and openness in the Indo-Pacific region, while “Hua Ziqiang’s unique knowledge Continuously improve our decision-making with experience.”

The picture shows the U.S. House of Representatives’ April 19 sand table deduction of war in the Taiwan Strait, and a video showing relevant information on one screen.

Who is Hua Ziqiang?

According to information from the U.S. State Department, Hua Ziqiang will serve as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific from July 2021, in charge of China and Taiwan affairs; in December last year, the State Council newly established the China Affairs Coordination Office, led by him, whose responsibilities include dealing with U.S. diplomatic agencies in China Related affairs, dealings with the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), etc. Hua Ziqiang has also been in charge of Mongolian affairs, worked as a political counselor at the Beijing embassy, ​​and has also worked in related units in the Middle East. He can speak Chinese, Arabic and Spanish.

Earlier this year, US-China relations deteriorated sharply due to the “spy balloon” incident.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken postpones visit to China. Therefollowing,The United States continues to send out signals of open communication. March,Hua Ziqiang made low-key visits to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and other placesConducting “working-level communication” is considered to pave the way for Blinken’s visit to China.

Archyde.com pointed out that Hua Ziqiang is a figure in the Biden administration who is more inclined to interact with China. According to internal messages and emails obtained by Archyde.com, when the “spy balloon” incident broke out,U.S. delays human rights-related sanctions once morest China, hoping to reduce the degree of deterioration of bilateral relations. At that time, Hua Ziqiang wrote to employees: “The Secretary of State’s instruction is to suspend the “non-balloon-related” action so that we can focus on the corresponding and carefully considered response. We can consider other approaches in a few weeks.”

Some U.S. politicians have questioned the administration’s approach to China, as decades of increased U.S. engagement with China have failed to change China’s practices on trade, security and human rights issues.

‘Balloon’ incident heightens tensions between U.S. and China

shoot down

The U.S. military shot down a Chinese balloon in waters off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4 following it hovered over the U.S. mainland for days. The US accuses China of using balloons for espionage. But China said it was just an out-of-control weather balloon.

‘Balloon’ incident heightens tensions between U.S. and China

search

The downed balloon crashed into the ocean a few miles off the coast of South Carolina. The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard located the area where the balloon fell and dispatched helicopters and ships to comb through the crash area looking for the remains of the balloon.

‘Balloon’ incident heightens tensions between U.S. and China

salvage

It looks like fishermen are catching an oversized jellyfish, but in fact this is a member of the US military’s explosives disposal team salvaging the wreckage of a Chinese balloon that was shot down at sea. The balloon is regarding 61 meters in diameter and weighs as much as a small airliner.

‘Balloon’ incident heightens tensions between U.S. and China

wreckage

Due to the balloon’s large size and uncertainty regarding its safety, the U.S. ultimately decided to shoot it down at sea. The water depth in the area where the balloon fell was regarding 15 meters. The U.S. military is working to salvage more wreckage in order to more accurately understand the actual purpose of this flying object.

‘Balloon’ incident heightens tensions between U.S. and China

tool

The U.S. military used special equipment, including underwater drones, to search for and salvage the balloon wreckage. The Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey vessel uses sonar technology to search for debris in the crash zone. According to the US military, the search area is regarding 2.25 square kilometers.

‘Balloon’ incident heightens tensions between U.S. and China

found

“The salvage team recovered some significant debris from where the balloon fell, including identification of all major sensors and electronics, as well as large pieces of the overall structure,” U.S. Northern Command said in a statement on February 13.

‘Balloon’ incident heightens tensions between U.S. and China

upgrade

Tensions between the United States and China have intensified following the United States shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon. During this period, the Chinese Defense Minister had refused to talk to US Secretary of Defense Austin to discuss matters related to the balloon. China called the U.S. shootdown an overreaction that violated international norms. The U.S. Commerce Department added six Chinese entities linked to Beijing’s suspected spy balloon program to an export blacklist. In the past few days, the U.S. military shot down three more flying objects off the coast of Alaska in the northwestern United States, the Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada, and over Lake Huron on the U.S.-Canada border.

Major personnel changes in the US government

At a time when U.S.-China relations are tense, a series of recent personnel changes in the U.S. diplomatic service have aroused concern.Earlier this year, the senior director of China and Taiwan affairs at the National Security Council of the White HouseRosenberg(Laura Rosenberger), transitioned to chair of AIT; earlier this month, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Statesherman(Wendy Sherman) announced her intention to retire.

In addition, the Associated Press quoted sources on the 24th as saying that Biden will appoint experienced Air Force General Brown (CQ Brown Jr.) as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US military. The Air Force’s strategy once morest China in the Indo-Pacific region.If the appointment is confirmed by the Senate, Brown will take overmilli(Mark Milley), whose term expires in October.

(comprehensive report)

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