"Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific" with Camille Dawson

On May 30, 2023, NBR held its twenty-second President’s Circle dialogue with special guest Camille Dawson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State with the Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

NBR President Roy Kamphausen began the evening by reviewing the top issues in Asia. Roy surveyed China’s recent diplomatic outreach, including hosting talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran to re-establish diplomatic relations and facilitating Afghanistan’s accession to the Belt and Road Initiative. Roy also discussed the Biden administration’s continuing engagement with its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, including South Korean president Yoon Seok-yul’s recent state visit to the United States, the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, and Secretary Blinken’s visit to Papua New Guinea. Roy concluded his remarks by highlighting recent developments in the South Korea-Japan relationship. 

In the second half of the event, DAS Dawson discussed the Biden administration’s whole-of-government approach enshrined in its Indo-Pacific Strategy. DAS Dawson discussed the role of groupings such as the Quad, AUKUS, the Partners in the Blue Pacific, and more, as well as the role of public diplomacy in advancing the Biden administration’s Indo-Pacific priorities.