Before the presidential elections are to be held in America in November 2024, President Joe Biden has made an important decision. Kurt Campbell, a staunch opponent of China, has been given a big responsibility in the US State Ministry. Campbell will now take charge as Under Secretary of Political Affairs. Victoria Nuland had previously held this post since 2021. So now Campbell will look after all the work in place of Victoria. At present Campbell is in charge of America's Indo-Pacific policy.

China's 'enemy' faces big responsibility in America, what is Biden's planning?

One of the hallmarks of Kurt Campbell has been that he described the friendship between India and America as the most important bilateral relationship on earth. By giving the number two position to Campbell, Biden has highlighted his competition with China. On the other hand, amidst the current international challenges like the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel-Palestine conflict, America has by doing so assured its Asia-Pacific allies that no matter what the challenge, America will continue to play an important role in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Asia Emperor” of Biden administration

Campbell has been called the “Asia Emperor” of US President Joe Biden's administration. He is a Washington policy veteran who has served as vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and as CEO and co-founder of New American Security. He has been a key agent driving American initiatives in the Indo-Pacific. Campbell has played a special role in making QUAD i.e. Quadrilateral Security Dialogue strong and active and in forming AUKUS against China. Campbell has received strong support from both Republicans and Democrats, which is rare in today's highly polarized Washington.

What is QUAD?

Quad i.e. Quadrilateral Security Dialogue which was created to give a befitting reply to China. This group has four members – India, America, Japan and Australia. The talk of forming this group was first discussed after the 2004 tsunami. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is credited with laying the foundation of the Quad between 2006 and 2007. However, Australia separated from it after some time. Then in 2017, the Quad came back into existence with the India, Australia, Japan, America dialogue during the ASEAN Summit.

What is AUKUS?

AUKUS means Australia, UK and America. The three countries said that to ensure the security of the Indo Pacific region, America and Britain will help Australia in building nuclear-fueled submarines. The objective behind creating the AUKUS agreement was to significantly increase Australia's naval power in the Western Pacific Ocean and to be in a position to respond to China's growing influence in the region. China was very angry with this decision.