Biden’s Top China Adviser Out at White House After Balloon Debacle: Report

Laura Rosenberger, President Joe Biden’s top adviser on matters related to China and Taiwan, will step down in March, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing White House officials.

Rosenberger serves as a special assistant to the president and senior director on the National Security Council and has guided the president amid Washington’s increasing tensions with Beijing and will see out her term as the administration grapples with fallout from the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon in America’s coastal waters on Feb. 4. However, Rosenberger’s plans to step down preceded the balloon invading U.S. airspace and sparking bipartisan concern in Congress of the security implications of the spy balloon incursion, officials told Bloomberg.

“Under President Biden, we are more prepared to outcompete China and advance a free and open Indo-Pacific than ever before,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told Bloomberg. “Since the first day of the administration, Laura’s skilled diplomacy and tenacity have been essential to this administration priority, and we are immensely grateful for her service.”

Rosenberger worked to fortify the U.S.’ unofficial ties with the independently-ruled island of Taiwan, White House officials told Bloomberg.

Any claim that the US government operates surveillance balloons over the PRC is false. It is China that has a high-altitude surveillance balloon program for intelligence collection, that it has used to violate the sovereignty of the US and over 40 countries across 5 continents. https://t.co/VzPceB6JUh

— Adrienne Watson (@NSC_Spox) February 13, 2023