Clifford Hart

Clifford Hart has been an instrumental figure in shaping America’s China policy. His 33-year diplomatic career spanned the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon. His final role was a pivotal one as Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau. It not only marked the conclusion of his illustrious career but cemented him as a key player in US-China relations. Today, Hart leverages his experience to guide companies and institutions through the complexities of Indo-Pacific geopolitics.

From biden to BUSH to obama

Clifford Hart has taken on bi-partisan roles in various administrations since 1980. He began his career as a foreign policy assistant to then Senator Joe Biden. Later, he was the National Security Council’s Director for China and Taiwan under President George W. Bush. Obama awarded him the personal rank of ambassador for his role as Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks on North Korean nuclear weapons.

At the Pentagon, Clifford Hart was foreign policy advisor (POLAD) to Chief of Naval Operations. In Baghdad, he was POLAD to the Commanding General of Multinational Corps-Iraq. At the State Department, Hart worked on Asian regional policy, the Taiwan Strait, Kazakhstan, crisis management and post-conflict stabilisation.

Shaping policy discussions beyond government

Now retired and living in Singapore, Hart is Senior Advisor to Bower Group Asia, a government relations consultancy firm, and was an advisor to Fluidity, a blockchain technology company. He sits on the advisory boards of the American Association of the Indo-Pacific and the European Cyber Diplomacy project. Clifford Hart hosts in-house podcasts on Asian geopolitics for a private equity firm and writes on China for the international press. He is a regular speaker on foreign policy, and has appeared at events hosted by Goldman Sachs, Axiom Asia, Citibank and Forsyth Barr.

Honours and legacy

The US State Department awarded Hart its highest accolade for his analysis of Chinese politics and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong recognised him as a champion of women in business.

Hart is a fluent Chinese speaker and lives with his wife, Ms. Gabrielle Rush, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Singapore.