State Department launches 'China House' to coordinate policy on Beijing

The State Department launched the Office of China Coordination, informally known as the “China House,” to coordinate U.S. policy toward Beijing. 

A department release states that the office will ensure the federal government is responsibly managing its competition with China and advancing its vision for an “open, inclusive international system.” 

It states that China House is a key part of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s agenda to modernize the department. 

“The Secretary and Department leadership are committed to ensuring we have the talent, tools, and resources to successfully execute U.S. policy and strategy towards the [People’s Republic of China] as the most complex and consequential geopolitical challenge we face,” the release states. 

China House is bringing together a group of experts on China from inside and outside the department to work with colleagues from every regional bureau and other experts in international security, economics, technology, multilateral diplomacy and strategic communications. 

“Improved coordination means nimbler and more consistent policy from the State Department,” the release states. “It means we are better positioned to work with our allies and partners and to engage even more deeply with every country with which the Department works.” 

Blinken previously announced his plans to launch the office in May, saying that Washington would work to “invest, align, compete” to counter China’s power on the world stage.