Biden nominates expert on Asian affairs for State Department role

Nov. 1 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he plans to nominate administration veteran Kurt Campbell to serve as deputy secretary of State under Antony Blinken.

Campbell has been serving Biden as deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs on the National Security Council since January 2021.

Campbell has played a key role in the Biden administration's Asian policy to counter China's influence in the Far East.

An expert on Asian affairs, Campbell was the founding chair and CEO of The Asia Group LLC, a strategic advisory and capital management group. From 2009 to 2013, Campbell served as the assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the Obama administration.

In the Clinton administration, Campbell served as deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, White House Fellow at the Treasury Department, and as director of the Democracy Office at the National Security Council.

Campbell, who served in the Navy Reserves, is an author and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award.