Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
Department of State

Daniel Kritenbrink

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs

Leads the State Department’s Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs.

Daniel Kritenbrink is the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Mr. Kritenbrink is a career Foreign Service professional, having served as Ambassador to Vietnam, Senior Advisor for North Korea Policy, Senior Director for Asian Affairs on the National Security Council, and as Deputy Chief of Mission to the US Embassy in Beijing.

Past statements on development, diplomacy, and U.S. global leadership:

On Development: In a speech announcing a new USAID initiative in Vietnam, Kritenbrink celebrated: “Our partnership has evolved from direct humanitarian assistance toward working with Vietnam to build the systems and modern institutional and physical infrastructure it needs to help persons with disabilities today, and well into the future. Working together we – the United States and Vietnam in partnership – have provided services to millions of Vietnamese in need and have laid the groundwork for ensuring such services are sustained into the future.” (source)

On Diplomacy: Praising a 2017 joint press conference between the presidents of the U.S. and Vietnam, Kritenbrink stated: “Both of our presidents talked about the tremendous cooperation on a number of issues, including security, economy and trade, people and human relations, and dealing with legacy war issues. So, the thing that impressed me the most is how broad and deep the cooperation is between our two countries.” (source)

On China: Previewing a 2015 White House State Dinner with Xi Jinping, Kritenbrink said: “Without a doubt the US-China relationship is one of the world’s most consequential bilateral relationships. We have an enormous agenda with China, from combatting climate change to preventing nuclear proliferation to countering the spread of pandemic disease. Making progress on these issues requires methodical engagement at the leader level.” (source)