Biden picks China specialist for ambassador to Marshall Islands
- The nominee, Laura Stone, is a Chinese speaker and previously worked as acting deputy assistant secretary for China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mongolia
- The Marshall Islands is a strategic Pacific territory that has become a focus for competition with China
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday nominated a senior career diplomat to be US ambassador to the Marshall Islands, a strategic Pacific territory that has become a focus for competition with China.
The nominee, Laura Stone, is currently deputy coordinator at the State Department’s office of Covid-19 response and previously served as deputy assistant secretary for India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives.
The Marshall Islands is one of three Pacific island nations covered by so-called Compacts of Free Association (COFA) with Washington, under which the US retains responsibility for their defence and provides economic help, while gaining exclusive access to huge strategic swathes of the Pacific.
Renewing the pacts become a key part of US efforts to push back against China’s bid to expand its influence in the Pacific, but according to regional news reports, a final deal with the Marshall Islands has been held up by disagreement over how to address the legacy of massive US nuclear testing.
