US Establishes 'China House' to Expand Capabilities for Responding to China

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The Biden administration in the United States has established a new "China House," a diplomatic control tower for China within the State Department. This move is interpreted as an acceleration of organizational restructuring to integrate response capabilities toward China, which has been identified as "the most serious and long-term threat to the world order."

On the 16th (local time), Bloomberg News and others reported that the U.S. State Department created the "Office of China Coordination," known as China House, and held its inauguration ceremony presided over by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Politico reported that the establishment of China House is based on the judgment to respond swiftly to numerous challenges posed by the Chinese government, ranging from trade to military power.

China House, composed of 60 to 70 staff members, is divided into three teams: bilateral affairs, strategic communications, and international affairs.

In a statement, the State Department said, "China House aims to advance President Biden's vision for an open and inclusive international system and to responsibly manage competition with China."

It further explained, "China House will enable China experts inside and outside the State Department to work alongside experts in individual regional bureaus, security, economics, technology, multilateral diplomacy, and strategic communications."

Additionally, the State Department stated, "We will do everything possible to secure the talent, tools, and resources necessary to successfully implement U.S. policies and strategies toward China, the most complex and decisive geopolitical challenge facing the United States."

The Office of China Coordination will be located in the State Department building in Washington, D.C., with Deputy Assistant Secretary Rick Waters appointed as the inaugural coordinator. Coordinator Waters will report to Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman.

The establishment of the Office of China Coordination aligns with the opening of the CIA’s China Mission Center. Previously, the CIA created the China Mission Center last year, focusing on gathering intelligence on China and countering Chinese government espionage activities within the United States.

Regarding the purpose of its establishment, CIA Director William Burns stated, "It is an effort to strengthen our shared mission against the Chinese government, the most important geopolitical threat we face in the 21st century."

The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), responsible for overseas military intelligence, is also accelerating organizational restructuring by creating a "China Mission Group," among other measures, to integrate the U.S. government's response capabilities toward China.