Asia hand Kurt Campbell fears US-China miscalculation in Trump era

Ex-deputy secretary of state urges Japan to be 'intrepid,' take bigger regional role

20250423 Former United States Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell portrait

Avoiding an "unintentional military clash" with China must be a top priority for Washington, says former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. (Photo by Yuji Murakami) 

KENJI KAWASE

TOKYO -- For Kurt Campbell, the former U.S. deputy secretary of state and long-time Asia hand, one challenge stands out in a world rocked by conflicts and tensions: how to avoid a dangerous spiral with China.

"Probably, no two countries are more interdependent than China and the U.S.," he said in an exclusive interview with Nikkei Asia during a visit to Tokyo and the region this week. But there are "no two countries that are more uncomfortable with that interdependence."

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