Jump to content

Kurt M. Campbell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kurt Campbell
Official portrait, 2024
22ndUnited States Deputy Secretary of State
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 12, 2024
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byWendy Sherman
Victoria Nuland(acting)
National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific
In office
January 20, 2021 – February 12, 2024
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
24thAssistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
In office
June 29, 2009 – February 8, 2013
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byChristopher R. Hill
Succeeded byDaniel R. Russel
Personal details
Born
Kurt Michael Campbell

(1957-08-27)August 27, 1957(age 67)
Fresno, California,U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
(m.1998)​
Education

Kurt Michael Campbell(born August 27, 1957[1]) is an American diplomat and businessman serving as theUnited States deputy secretary of statesince 2024. He previously served asNational Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacificfrom 2021 to 2024. In this capacity, Campbell had been referred to as theBiden administration's "Asia coordinator" or "Asia czar" —chief architect ofJoe Biden's Asia strategy.[2]

He formerly served asassistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairsin theObama administration.He was the chairman and CEO ofThe Asia Group,LLC,[3]which he founded in February 2013. On January 20, 2021, he was appointed as the NSC Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific by Joe Biden.

Education

[edit]

Kurt Michael Campbell was born on August 27, 1957.[4]He received aBAfrom theUniversity of California, San Diego,a certificate in music and political philosophy from theUniversity of YerevaninSoviet Armenia,and a doctorate in international relations fromBrasenose College, Oxford,on aMarshall Scholarship.[5]

Career

[edit]

Campbell served in several capacities in government, including asdeputy assistant secretary of defensefor Asia and the Pacific, director on theNational Security CouncilStaff, deputy special counselor to the president for theNorth American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA), and as aWhite House Fellowat theUnited States Department of the Treasury.[5]

Campbell served as an officer in theU.S. Navyon theJoint Chiefs of Staffand in theChief of Naval OperationsSpecial Intelligence Unit.[5]He was also associate professor of public policy and international relations at theJohn F. Kennedy School of Governmentand assistant director of the Center for Science and International Affairs atHarvard University.[5]

In 2000, Campbell was hired at theCenter for Strategic and International Studiesas one of its senior vice-presidents, as director of its International Security Program, and as itsHenry A. KissingerChair in National Security Policy.[5][6]

Campbell went on to become the CEO and co-founder of theCenter for a New American Security(CNAS), a national securitythink tanklaunched in January 2007.[7]

Obama administration

[edit]
Campbell in 2009

On June 26, 2009, Campbell was confirmed by theObama administrationasassistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs.His last day in office was February 8, 2013.[5]

Outside of government

[edit]

Campbell also served as director of theAspen Strategy Groupand the chairman of the editorial board of theWashington Quarterly.He was the founder and principal of StratAsia, a consulting firm focused on small-to-medium businesses in Asia, along as in 2013 co-founder and chair ofThe Asia Group,a strategic advisory firm also focused on the Asia-Pacific region.[5]

Campbell was a member of theCouncil on Foreign Relations,the Wasatch Group, and theInternational Institute for Strategic Studies.[5]

In 2018-2019, Campbell was Kissinger Fellow at theMcCain Institute.[8]

Biden administration

[edit]
Campbell speaks in 2024

Campbell was appointed as the National Security coordinator for the Indo-Pacific on January 20, 2021, the first day of PresidentJoe Biden's administration.[9][10]He has been referred to as the Biden administration's "Asia coordinator" or "Asia czar."[9]

On November 1, 2023, Campbell was nominated by President Biden to become theUnited States deputy secretary of state,[11][12]and his nomination was sent to theUnited States Senatethe same day.[13]His nomination was confirmed by a 92–5 vote on February 6, 2024.[14]He was sworn in on February 12, 2024.[15]The Biden administration does not plan to nominate a replacement for Campbell as the Indo-Pacific coordinator. A White House spokesperson shared that the role had been created specifically for Campbell and was not a permanent post.[16]

Publications

[edit]

As author

[edit]
  • The China Reckoning: How Beijing Defied American Expectations,Foreign Affairs,April 2018 (co-authored withEly Ratner)[17]
  • The Pivot: The Future of American Statecraft in Asia,Kurt M. Campbell, (NYC:Twelve,2016)ISBN978-1455568956
  • Difficult Transitions: Foreign Policy Troubles at the Outset of Presidential Power,Kurt M. Campbell andJames Steinberg,(Washington, D.C.: Brookings, 2008)
  • Hard Power: The New Politics of National Security,Kurt M. Campbell andMichael E. O'Hanlon,(Washington, D.C.: Basic Books, 2006)
  • To Prevail: An American Strategy for the Campaign against Terrorism,Kurt M. Campbell andMichèle Flournoy,Principal Authors,Center for Strategic and International Studies(Washington, D.C.: CSIS Press, 2001)

As editor

[edit]
  • Campbell, Kurt M., ed. (2008).Climatic Cataclysm: The Foreign Policy and National Security Implications of Climate Change.Brookings Institution Press.Mentioned inIs this what the World is Coming to?(Nature )
  • The Nuclear Tipping Point,Kurt M. Campbell, Robert J. Einhorn,Mitchell Reiss,eds., (Washington, D.C.: Brookings, 2004)

As opinionist

[edit]
  • At the outset of his influence on the Biden administration, he saw theD10 club of countriesas "most urgent for questions of trade, technology, supply chains, and standards", and militarily sought to expand "theso-called Quad".[18]

Honors and awards

[edit]

Campbell received theDepartment of DefenseMedals for Distinguished Public Service and for Outstanding Public Service.[citation needed]

Campbell co-chaired the executive committee of the 9-11 Pentagon Memorial Fund.[citation needed]

On 25 November 2013, Campbell was appointed anHonorary Officer of the Order of Australia(AO) for "service to strengthening bilateral relations between Australia and the United States of America".[19]In the2014 New Year Honours,Campbell was appointed an honoraryCompanion of the New Zealand Order of Meritfor services to New Zealand-United States relations.[20]On 15 October 2013, Campbell was appointedOrder of Brilliant Starwith Special Grand Cordon for services toTaiwan–United States relations.[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"California Birth Index | CaliforniaBirthIndex.org".californiabirthindex.org.Retrieved11 November2021.
  2. ^Nakashima, Ellen (1 November 2023)."White House nominates Asia lead Kurt Campbell to be Blinken's deputy".Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.Retrieved3 December2023.
  3. ^"The Asia Group".Archived fromthe originalon 24 December 2014.Retrieved24 December2014.
  4. ^"Standard Chartered plc".Companies House.Retrieved29 August2015.
  5. ^abcdefgh"Kurt M Campbell".Harvard Kennedy School.25 January 2021.Retrieved16 June2021.
  6. ^"The Hon. Kurt Campbell - Clements Center for National Security".clementscenter.org/.Retrieved16 May2024.
  7. ^Campbell, K. M., Patel, N. and V. J. Singh, 2008. “The Power of Balance: America in iAsia.” ‘’Center for a New American Security’’.
  8. ^Kissinger Fellowship Taps Kurt Campbell to Tackle China"Business Wire" January 29, 2018
  9. ^abSmith, Nicola (20 January 2021)."Joe Biden promotes foreign policy tsar in sign of 'pivot to Asia'".Telegraph Media Group Limited.
  10. ^Fisher, Lucy (28 January 2021)."Britain could join 'Asian Nato' under proposal to expand its membership to counter China".Telegraph Media Group Limited.
  11. ^"Biden picks Asia hand Kurt Campbell as deputy secretary of state".Reuters.1 November 2023.Retrieved1 November2023.
  12. ^"President Biden Announces Kurt Campbell as Nominee for Deputy Secretary of State, Department of State"(Press release). The White House. 1 November 2023.Retrieved1 November2023.
  13. ^"Nominations and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate"(Press release). The White House. 1 November 2023.Retrieved1 November2023.
  14. ^"On the Nomination (Confirmation: Kurt Campbell, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of State)".Retrieved6 February2024.
  15. ^"Dr. Kurt M. Campbell Deputy Secretary of State".Retrieved12 February2024.
  16. ^"White House decision to not replace Asia tsar stokes concern among US allies".ft.Retrieved5 May2024.
  17. ^Campbell, Kurt M.; Ratner, Ely (2018)."The China Reckoning: How Beijing Defied American Expectations".Foreign Affairs.97(2): 60–70.ISSN0015-7120.JSTOR44822081.
  18. ^Campbell, Kurt M.; Doshi, Rush (12 January 2021)."How America Can Shore Up Asian Order A Strategy for Restoring Balance and Legitimacy".Foreign Affairs.
  19. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 7 March 2014.Retrieved2 December2013.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ^"New Year honours list 2014".Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2013.Retrieved12 January2018.
  21. ^"President Ma bestows Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon on former US Assistant Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell".Office of the President, ROC (Taiwan). 15 October 2013.Retrieved16 November2021.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
2009–2013 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Deputy Secretary of State
2024–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kurt_M._Campbell&oldid=1245418887"