Fill US Arctic affairs post to halt China and Russia’s rise, senior Democrat urges Rubio


The senior Democrat on a US congressional committee focused on China is urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to fill the State Department’s vacant post for Arctic affairs, citing intensifying competition with Beijing and adding to growing pressure to address the vacancy.

The Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs leads US engagement with the eight-country Arctic Council and coordinates American interests related to safety and security, economic development and intergovernmental cooperation. The position has been vacant since January, when its inaugural holder, Mike Sfraga, stepped down.

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