 Seal of the
United States Department of State | |
| Office overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2022 |
| Employees | 60–70 [1] |
| Office executive |
|
| Parent department |
U.S. Department of State Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs |
The Office of China Coordination (OCC), informally known as China House, is a unit of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the U.S. State Department that coordinates information-sharing and policy towards the People's Republic of China. [1] [2]
History
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The OCC replaced the China Desk of Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs in December 2022. [1] The office has between 60 and 70 employees, including people detailed from other departments on topics such as international security, economics, technology, multilateral diplomacy, and strategic communication. [1] [3] [4] The reorganization, launched by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, was described as a centerpiece of the Biden administration's diplomatic efforts in a global rivalry between the United States and China. [1] [2]
Officials told Politico that the OCC would eliminate some silos among redundant government bodies and streamline policymaking. [1] Politico described it as analogous to the Central Intelligence Agency's China Mission Center, in that both entities would be hubs for directing funding, resources and personnel. [1] Before the reorganization, some former State Department officials had voiced concerns about adding another layer of bureaucracy, and a spokesperson for Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho called the OCC a "bureaucratic power grab". [5] [1] Risch held up the reorganization for some months until his concerns were allayed. [1]
In May 2023, Reuters reported "morale problems" at the OCC potentially stemming from lack of prioritization of China issues from State Department leadership, and that then-OCC Chief Rick Waters (who subsequently joined the Eurasia Group as managing director for China) [6] will be stepping down from the post. [7] [8] In September 2023, the State Department announced Waters will be succeeded by Mark Baxter Lambert, confirming WSJ's August 2023 reporting citing unnamed sources familiar with the decision. [9] [10]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Toosi, Nahal, and Phelim Kine (December 16, 2022). "Biden launches 'China House' to counter Beijing's growing clout." Politico. Archived from the original.
- ^ a b Gans, Jared (December 17, 2022). "State Department launches 'China House' to coordinate policy on Beijing." The Hill. Archived from the original.
- ^ Staff writer (December 16, 2022). "US State Department Launches Office of China Coordination." Voice of America. Archived from the original.
- ^ Office of the Spokesperson (December 16, 2022). "Secretary Blinken Launches the Office of China Coordination" ( press release). U.S. State Department. Archived from the original.
- ^ Kine, Phelim (June 2, 2022). "CIA and State's new China centers risk bureaucratic boondoggle". Politico. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ Martina, Michael (August 1, 2023). "Former top State Department China official joins Eurasia Group". Reuters. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ Martina, Michael (May 11, 2023). "Why the US delayed China sanctions after shooting down a spy balloon". Reuters. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ Martina, Michael; Pamuk, Humeyra; Pamuk, Humeyra (May 25, 2023). "US State Department's top China policy official to step down". Reuters. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ "Introduction of New China Coordinator and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China and Taiwan Mark Lambert". United States Department of State. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
- ^ Lin, Liza. "State Department Set to Name New Top China Policy Official". WSJ. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
