As Secretary of State Marco Rubio embarks on his first Asia trip, the U.S. Department of State is undergoing its largest round of layoffs and reorganization in decades—a move that has shaken Washington and raised concerns in the Indo-Pacific region, where the U.S.-China rivalry is most sensitive. Multiple current and former officials have warned that this will weaken America's competitiveness and allow China to take the lead.
A "Drastic" Restructuring
Last week, the U.S. Department of State launched a comprehensive restructuring, with several offices long responsible for Asia-Pacific policy, foreign aid, and technology competition being cut or merged. According to The Washington Post, affected departments include:
- The Office of Multilateral Affairs under the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, which handles U.S.-ASEAN relations and coordinates diplomatic responses to disputes in the South China Sea;
- The Office of Security and Transnational Affairs under the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, which manages billions of dollars in foreign aid and technology and security cooperation with Quad countries;
- Teams within the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy related to global 5G and AI policies, including two quantum technology experts and three artificial intelligence experts.
It is reported that this round of restructuring affects over 1,100 civil servants and 240 diplomats—many of whom hold doctorates in quantum physics or have extensive backgrounds in artificial intelligence, considered key forces in America's technological competition with China.
A spokesperson for the Department of State said in a statement that the restructuring aims to avoid overlapping functions and improve efficiency: "Many offices' purposes have become outdated or deviated from their original intent."
A Major Shrinking of the U.S. Department of State
However, multiple officials counter that such "non-strategic cuts" will greatly weaken America's diplomatic and technological competitiveness in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific. As one official put it: "Technology is at the core of competing with China, and artificial intelligence is the foundation—now these are all being hollowed out."
Previously, the U.S. stance of countering China through multilateral mechanisms—such as engaging with ASEAN as a whole and the Quad—was seen as a key balancing act. However, the Department of State's recent reform decision transferred the functions of the multilateral affairs office to the Office of Regional and Security Policy, and delegated some functions to the ASEAN mission in Jakarta. At the same time, maritime affairs in Southeast Asia were integrated into a newly established Southeast Asia Affairs Office, favoring a bilateral approach.
"Non-strategic Cuts," or an Active Abandonment?
This round of layoffs and mergers coincides with Secretary Rubio's first visit to Asia. As an ardent China hawk, Rubio once referred to China as an "unprecedented strategic competitor" during his confirmation hearing. At the ASEAN summit, he tried to demonstrate America's firm commitment to the region, emphasizing "not abandoning defense relations or the 6,000 American companies investing in Southeast Asia," and met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Yet, the Department of State's large-scale reduction of its Asia-Pacific team contradicts Rubio's strong public stance. A former State Department official from the Biden administration questioned: "From the perspective of Indo-Pacific competition, cutting teams that are most critical to countering China is truly puzzling."
Critics worry that this decision is not just about institutional efficiency, but also about a weakening of America's resolve in the China competition. A knowledgeable official revealed that some of those laid off on Friday were the team members who had drafted the policy points for Rubio's ASEAN summit. This directly weakened America's preparedness and voice on issues such as the South China Sea and regional cooperation.
At the same time, the White House Office of Management and Budget recently instructed to cancel almost all foreign aid programs of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, which is tantamount to further abandoning the U.S.'s "soft power" tools in the competition with China.
Shaking Congress, Bipartisan Doubts
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the Democratic leader of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, strongly criticized Trump's "comprehensive and non-strategic cuts," combined with trade wars and budget cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development, saying they have "severely weakened America's competitiveness against China."
Mira Rapp-Hooper, a former Asia advisor in the Biden administration, stated that U.S.-China competition does not occur in a vacuum, but requires deepening alliances and partnerships with countries like Southeast Asia. She warned: "Cutting people who know how to work in this key region is equivalent to surrendering automatically."
Facing criticism, senior State Department officials defended the move, claiming it would end long-standing departmental overlaps and make the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs "stronger." Although the South China Sea issue involves multiple offices, it will be coordinated by the new Office of Regional Security and Policy.
Rubio himself emphasized at the ASEAN summit that the U.S. would not leave nor weaken its regional presence, but instead "go further" based on the existing foundation. However, critics worry that such statements conflict with the massive layoffs.
Ambiguous Strategy in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Chess Game
With the possibility of Trump's visit to China being raised, the U.S. is at a delicate moment in its strategic transformation in Asia. Whether the large-scale removal of core teams in the U.S.-China competition is a "self-reduction" or a strategic abandonment remains uncertain.
At the same time, the U.S. has repeatedly emphasized the importance of technology and digital competition, which relies on numerous quiet yet crucial technical advisors and cross-departmental experts. From quantum computing to artificial intelligence, from 5G to cybersecurity, these issues essentially span economic, national security, and value domains. It is difficult to support them with high-level statements and short-term policies alone. However, it can be determined that in the increasingly fierce global influence competition, every retreat in U.S. foreign and technological policies may become an opportunity for its rivals. And this, perhaps, is only the beginning.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7528264516136649267/
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