East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Kim Delivers Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing on Implementing an America First Approach

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee Chairwoman Young Kim delivered opening remarks at a hearing titled "Implementing an America First Approach in the East Asia and Pacific Region"

-Remarks-

Welcome to East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee hearing on implementing an America First approach in the East Asia and Pacific region. We're pleased to welcome the Honorable Michael DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Mr. DeSombre, thank you so much for joining us. Since October, you have led one of the State Department's most critical bureaus at a time when U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific must prioritize American strength, prosperity, and security while racing ahead of the Chinese Communist Party.

During your Senate confirmation, you outlined three clear goals: Bolstering US strength with allies and partners, advancing American prosperity through commercial diplomacy, and stopping the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants from Asia into North America. This hearing provides an opportunity to review progress on those priorities that you set forward and identify how Congress can support them. We begin with Taiwan, our critical democratic partner facing unrelenting pressure from Beijing. The Trump Administration and Congress have stood firmly with Taiwan against daily CCP threats and coercion. With U.S. support, we're strengthening Taiwan's ability to deter a Chinese attack, blockade, or other form of aggression. We welcome the administration's approval last December of a historic $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, and Secretary Rubio informed the full committee last month at our hearing that a $14 billion follow on package is now under review.

The future of Taiwan must be decided by its people, not Beijing. Beijing's aggression extends beyond Taiwan. In the South China Sea, the CCP continues its campaign to dominate international waters by converting small features into military bases. Near Scarborough Shoal, claimed by the Philippines, China has undertaken actions that risk further militarization. We must work closely with our allies and partners to defend freedom of navigation and uphold international law. This subcommittee recently examined how the CCP has built a fentanyl precursor pipeline that continues to kill Americans. We must shut this deadly flow. Strong U.S. leadership on human rights is also essential— supporting Vietnamese activists pressing for North Korean freedom and holding the CCP accountable for atrocities against Uyghurs, Tibetans, and others. As the Burmese civil war carries on, the Trump Administration has renewed sanctions on the regime, and we're excited to hear about the State Department's next steps in this conflict. At the same time, now is the time to deepen our core alliances like AUKUS and the U.S.-South Korea-Japan trilateral, which remain indispensable Pacific anchors.

The United States and Japan have reset the economic relationship, invested together in critical minerals development, and worked to upgrade our defense relationship. Meanwhile, South Korea remains an essential partner of the United States in deterring North Korean aggression and reindustrializing the U.S. economy. So, we welcome the strengthened defense ties and joint investments in critical minerals. Mr. DeSombre, thank you for your service. As you can see, there are a lot of issues that we need to discuss today, and so we look forward to your testimony and to partnering with you to advance peace through strength across the Indo-Pacific.
 

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