Trump to nominate former AF general as State Department's top diplomat for East Asia and the Pacific
川普提名退役空軍為國務院亞太助卿
| David Stilwell is familiar with Asian affairs and the political situation in Beijing
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. President Donald Trump intends to nominate former US Air Force Gen. David Stilwell to be the State Department’s top diplomat for East Asia and the Pacific, reports said. The White House said in a statement issued on Oct. 17 that President Trump has planned to nominate Stilwell as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, a position that has been unfilled for more than one year. The nomination will require approval from the US Senate. Earlier, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Susan Thornton, had been nominated by then-Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to take on the post, but her nomination received opposition from members in the administration and the Congress. Thornton later announced her intention to retire at the end of July. Stilwell’s nomination reflects President Trump’s inclination to recruit those who have a military background, reports said. Having served as a military attache to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing from 2011 to 2013, Stilwell is familiar with the political situation in China. He also worked at the Pentagon as Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs for Asia during the Obama administration. Stilwell joined the Air Force in 1980 as a Korean linguist before acquiring a Master's degree in Asian Studies and Chinese language from the academy in 1988. He is proficient in Mandarin Chinese and Korean languages, and has some capability in Japanese, according to the East-West Center, a Hawaii-based research institute where Stilwell serves as an adjunct senior fellow. |
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| Teng Pei-ju, Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2018-10-18 |
