The US State Department has eliminated its top experts on the South China Sea, shuttering the office that focused on Indo-Pacific security. This move comes as President Trump’s administration and lawmakers continue to prioritize countering Chinese aggression in the region.
China has been aggressively asserting its territorial claims, building artificial islands and military installations, and harassing fishing and oil exploration ships from neighboring countries. The US has worked with other nations in the region to push back against these actions.
Despite this, the State Department has cut funding for the office that managed US engagement with ASEAN, coordinated diplomatic responses to China’s aggression, and oversaw the Mekong River region. This decision has left gaps in knowledge and experience critical to US interests in the region.
Security and diplomacy experts are expressing concern that this move will harm US efforts in the region and give China an upper hand. “You’re not going to pluck somebody else out of an unrelated bureau who knows the ins and outs of one of the most complicated issues in the world,” says Gregory Poling, director of the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative.
The decision has also raised concerns about the signal it sends to US allies in the region. Piper Campbell, former diplomat and chair of the Department of Foreign Policy and Global Security at American University, says it reduces US influence and understanding of the region.
Henrietta Levin, former deputy China coordinator for global affairs at the State Department, echoes these concerns, saying she was surprised and somewhat concerned by the cuts. “I think these cuts eliminate tools that have been powerful in the United States,” she says.
The Trump administration has long prioritized containing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, but this decision has left many wondering why the State Department would cut funding for an office focused on this issue. As tensions continue to rise in the region, US policymakers and experts are left questioning whether this move will ultimately help or hurt US interests.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/07/24/nx-s1-5477523/state-department-cuts-china-experts