Last week, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on the topic of America’s future in Asia. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawai‘i, who sits on the subcommittee, described her state as the “strategic point of the spear” concerning America’s focus on Asia. She also asked Mr. Russel about strategies for pursuing multifaceted engagement in the region. Both Congresswoman Gabbard and Mr. Russel highlighted the East-West Center in Honolulu as a critical venue for facilitating dialogue, training, exchanges and connections between the US and Asia.
The full hearing can be viewed here, and the portion in which Congresswoman Gabbard and Secretary Russel discuss the East-West Center begins here.