A State Department career diplomat who tentatively heads the nation’s top diplomatic office for East Asia has a record of pandering to pressure from the People’s Republic of China, in marked contrast to the Trump administration’s broader strategy to push back against Beijing’s aggression. The Epoch Times has also learned that the senior diplomat, whose nomination is now on hold, may have made misleading statements to the Senate during her confirmation hearing in February.
Susan Thornton, a career State Department officer, has been filling in since March 2017 as the acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs, a position that leads the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP). EAP is one of the department’s most important offices, administrating U.S. policies and diplomatic relations with dozens of countries across the Asia-Pacific region.
