[Free Beacon] Foreign Service officer Susan Thornton offers Obama-era policies toward Beijing at hearingThe nominee for a key State Department Asia policymaking post confirmed Thursday the State Department took part in preventing the FBI from arresting Chinese intelligence officials for conducting illegal activities in New York recently, but asserted she did not take part in the decision.
Susan Thornton, a career foreign service officer widely viewed among Republicans as favoring conciliatory policies toward China, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that if confirmed, her policies toward China at State would closely resemble the soft-line policies of the Obama administration.
Thornton, currently acting assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs was nominated for the key China post by Trump in December.
While acting secretary, she has taken positions toward China that sought to avoid upsetting relations with Beijing, according to administration officials who have taken part in interagency discussions with her.
