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[Text/Observer Network Xiong Chaoran] On July 30th local time, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell attended a hearing of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, during which he boasted about the "series of achievements" made by the Biden administration, including not only the trilateral cooperation between the United States, Japan and South Korea, but also the "EU sanctions against China."

However, according to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post, Campbell also advocated in front of the congressmen that day that after the United States and Europe established an alliance in the "Indo-Pacific region" to counter China and its closer contact with Russia, Washington must do more in the "Global South" to achieve this goal. He claimed that the United States is far behind China in Africa and other "Global South" regions, and is at "risk of failure" in specific goals such as obtaining key minerals and broader goals such as combating misinformation.

To this end, Campbell and the Democratic senators present believed that an important step is for the U.S. Senate to speed up the approval of the backlog of ambassadorial nominations to reach out to the "Global South" and match China's presence in the "Global South". Currently, there are more than 30 ambassadors and senior diplomatic positions nominated by the Biden administration who have not yet been approved by the Senate.

“We must question China’s actions, not only because of their forward-thinking strategy, but also because of their desire to pursue Africa’s rare earth resources, which are vital to our industrial and technological capabilities.”

“Sometimes people tend to underestimate the importance of our diplomats in international organizations in the ‘Global South,’ especially in small countries in Africa, who look to their ambassadors as representatives of the United States,” Campbell said. He believes that since the United States is far away from the “Global South,” having ambassadors stationed abroad is one of the most important priorities.

According to the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), more than 30 ambassadors and senior diplomatic positions nominated by the Biden administration have not yet been approved by the U.S. Senate. As is customary, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of both parties in the United States attend hearings and other meetings together, but no Republicans on the committee talked about the backlog of ambassadorial appointments, and even senators from the minority party can "put on hold" these nominations.

Senator Ben Cardin, a Delaware Democrat and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, placed much of the blame on Republicans for not approving career diplomats nominated for ambassadorial posts, and listed more than 20 countries where there were Chinese ambassadors but no American ambassadors.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, also cited the stagnation in ambassadorial appointments, saying, “I regret that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not here. China continues to prioritize their diplomatic engagement, and they have ambassadors around the world, especially in the ‘global south’ countries.”

"Yet our ambassadors, even career ambassadors, cannot get approval, not only in Africa and South America, but also in places like Albania and Montenegro," Shahin added.

The South China Morning Post pointed out that however, bipartisan members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee reached a consensus on some areas of priority for the Biden administration, including supporting Pacific island countries and working to bring the United States and the European Union into closer alignment.

The committee's senior Republican, Iowa Senator Jim Risch, praised the U.S. for approving a commitment to provide economic aid to three Pacific island allies, calling it a bipartisan effort aimed at weakening China's influence in the strategically vital region.

"Probably most Americans don't fully appreciate how important the Pacific is in our competition with China, and China is very active in this regard." He also claimed in response to Campbell's testimony: "I am glad to hear your assessment of the current situation among Europeans. Fortunately, their views on China have been evolving."

It is reported that another issue supported by Republicans on the committee during Campbell's hearing is the urgent need for the United States to restore its shipbuilding capabilities. In recent months, this issue has often become a key issue of concern to both parties.

“They (China) are building aircraft carriers, they are building fleets of liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships, they are even building cruise ships. We all understand that shipbuilding is central to projecting power, not just military power but commercial power. They are the undisputed king of basic industrial raw materials like steel and cement, and these things are not glamorous.”

After saying that, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., asked Campbell the extent to which China wields power and influence through such capabilities.

Campbell told Rubio that "there are a thousand reasons why (U.S.) naval shipbuilding is challenging." "I hope you know that there may be ways for us to work with our allies and partners on this, but it's very difficult. But I will tell you...the differences between the United States and China in shipbuilding are deeply concerning."

"We must do better in this area or we will not be the great naval force we need to be in the 21st century," Campbell added.

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