According to the White House, US President Joe Biden nominated Caroline Kennedy for ambassador to Australia and Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan for ambassador to Belize on Wednesday.
Kennedy, 64, is the daughter of John F. Kennedy, the United States’ 35th president, who was slain in 1963. She previously served as the US ambassador to Japan under former President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017.
Kwan is a two-time Olympic silver medalist in figure skating. She has worked as a women’s adviser for the US Department of State.
Australia is a significant ally of the US, and their relationship has become stronger in response to China’s rising might and confrontational behavior in Asia and beyond.
Given that Australia and Japan are both members of the so-called Quad grouping, which also includes the United States and India, and has been boosting cooperation in the face of China’s ascent, Kennedy’s experience in Japan might be useful in Canberra.
The US, the UK, and Australia formed a security pact called AUKUS in September, which will assist Australia in acquiring US nuclear-powered submarines and expanding its security reach in the IndoPacific region.
Kennedy served as the United States’ first female ambassador to Japan. She is a lawyer who has co-authored works on civil liberties and curated poetry anthologies.
