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Nominee Michael DeSombre Underscores China Challenge, Economic Diplomacy and Hong Kong Concerns
Summary
Michael DeSombre, nominated for Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, outlined priorities including countering Chinese influence, bolstering economic ties and commercial diplomacy, and addressing Hong Kong abuses; senators raised AUKUS, cyber scams and public diplomacy gaps.
WASHINGTON — Michael DeSombre, President Trump's nominee to be Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told senators that countering the People’s Republic of China's influence is a top priority, and outlined plans to use commercial diplomacy, interagency cooperation and strengthened alliances to do so.
DeSombre, who served as U.S. ambassador to Thailand and has extensive private‑sector experience in Asia, emphasized working with allies in the Indo‑Pacific to "enhance deterrence and counter malign activities by our adversaries," and said he would prioritize steps to expand U.S. economic ties across the region.
He described "deal team" approaches he used in Thailand — interagency groups focused on sectors such as health care, infrastructure and aerospace — as a model to increase U.S. commercial presence and encourage investments that reinforce security ties. "My plan is to roll out those sorts of initiatives across all of EAP and really make sure that we use commercial diplomacy to try to strengthen relationships," he said.
Senators questioned DeSombre about China’s coercion and influence operations, Hong Kong, cyber‑crime scams that defraud U.S. citizens and the value of programs that counter disinformation. DeSombre said he would work with allies to press Beijing to deliver verifiable commitments and noted concern about Hong Kong’s erosion of autonomy. He acknowledged the case of media owner Jimmy Lai and said President Trump has called for Lai’s release.
On AUKUS — the trilateral security partnership among Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. — DeSombre called the arrangement "very important" to the Indo‑Pacific strategy and said pillar‑one (conventionally armed nuclear‑powered submarines) and pillar‑two (defense technology cooperation) offer opportunities to strengthen deterrence.
DeSombre also cited domestic law‑enforcement cooperation, International Law Enforcement Academy training and use of tools such as USTDA (U.S. Trade and Development Agency) as part of a broader toolkit to combat regional threats including cyber scams that have cost U.S. citizens billions.
Discussion vs. decision: DeSombre framed answers as commitments to support administration priorities if confirmed; senators requested follow‑up and urged sustained resources for public‑diplomacy tools to counter PRC misinformation.
Ending: DeSombre pledged regular engagement with overseas missions and the committee to align diplomatic, economic and security policy in one of the world’s most consequential regions.
