TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. National Security Council’s Deputy Assistant for Indo-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell has been tapped by President Joe Biden to become the deputy secretary of state.

Campbell has been a long-term advocate for Taiwan, having visited the country more than six times and meeting with Presidents Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), and Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), CNA reported. He was also awarded the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon in 2013 by then-President Ma as a token of appreciation for his contributions to strengthening U.S.-Taiwan relations.

The U.S. official attended a seven-hour closed-door meeting with Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and National Security Council Secretary General Wellington Koo (顧立雄) in February at the American Institute in Taiwan headquarters in Washington, D.C. Campbell has also frequently emphasized the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait.

From 2009 to 2013, Campbell served as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He has also been the deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, White House Fellow at the Treasury Department, and director of the Democracy Office at the National Security Council during the Clinton administration, per a White House statement.