State Dept picks veteran diplomat Lambert as top China policy official

The U.S. State Department has picked veteran diplomat Mark Lambert as its top China policy official, five sources familiar with the matter said, bringing in new leadership for a part of the department that has faced staffing problems and criticism over its handling of China-focused initiatives. Lambert will likely be named as the deputy assistant secretary for China and Taiwan, the sources said, filling the post left in June by Rick Waters. Waters had also served as the head of the Office of China Coordination – informally known as 'China House' – a unit the department created late last year to meld China policies across regions and issues.