Biden picks Asia expert Kurt Campbell as Deputy Secretary of State

Washington, Nov 2: US President Joe Biden has nominated Kurt Campbell, the architect of his administration's strategy for Asia, to be Deputy Secretary of State, the second-most senior post in the State Department.

The White House announced Biden's decision in a press release published Wednesday.

Campbell, 66, currently serves as deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the National Security Council, Xinhua news agency reported.

Referred to in Washington jargon as the "Asia czar", Campbell was deeply involved in the formation of US policies toward Asia during previous administrations as well, playing an instrumental role, for example, in helping craft former President Barack Obama's "pivot to Asia" strategy when he served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs between 2009 and 2013.

Prior, Campbell held the position of deputy assistant secretary of defence for Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Bill Clinton administration, among other posts in public service. Outside of government, he has been a well-known think-tanker, having served as the founding CEO of the Centre for a New American Security and as the director of the Aspen Strategy Group.

Campbell's predecessor, Wendy Sherman, retired from the post of deputy secretary of state in July, since which time the post has been occupied by Victoria Nuland in an acting capacity.

Campbell's nomination as deputy secretary of state will require confirmation by the US Senate.