Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for the top diplomatic position in East Asia policy has underscored his intent to engage in “commercial diplomacy” with Indo-Pacific nations if confirmed. This aligns with Trump’s broader objectives of reducing America’s trade deficit, attracting foreign investments, and enhancing domestic manufacturing capabilities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during a Senate confirmation hearing, Michael DeSombre, who has been nominated for the role of assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, outlined three primary priorities for U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific region. These priorities include collaborating with allies and partners to strengthen deterrence measures. DeSombre emphasized promoting U.S. strength and security by closely working with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter adversarial activities. Another critical focus is to enhance U.S. prosperity through vigorous commercial diplomacy and establishing reciprocal trade relations with Indo-Pacific countries.
DeSombre further highlighted the necessity of making the United States safer by halting the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants from Asia, ensuring that countries accept the return of their citizens who are illegally in the U.S. He expressed a clear commitment to expanding commercial opportunities within diplomatic engagements in the region, stating his intent to strengthen commercial diplomacy teams across embassies in East Asia and the Pacific, with support from Washington D.C.
South Korea is particularly attentive to DeSombre’s nomination, given the wide array of regional issues, including security challenges from North Korea, managed by the assistant secretary post. DeSombre currently serves as a partner at Sullivan and Cromwell, a New York-based law firm, where he leads activities related to mergers and acquisitions in Asia. His past experience includes a tenure as the ambassador to Thailand from 2020 to 2021.
DeSombre holds a bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics and a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Stanford University, along with a law degree from Harvard Law School.