Trump likely to pick ExxonMobil chief as his secretary of state

U.S. media outlets that President-elect Donald Trump is expected to name Rex Tillerson, the chief executive of the world’s largest oil company, ExxonMobil, as his secretary of state to manage foreign policies. If Tillerson is actually named and confirmed by the Senate, he would become the first secretary of state with no governing or diplomatic experience. Then, the new administration’s foreign policies would be led by Trump and Tillerson, who are both dubbed “Washington outsiders.”

Tillerson, the 64-year-old Texas native, started his career at Exxon in 1975 and became the company’s CEO in 2006. After the meeting with Tillerson at Trump Tower in New York on December 10, Trump praised him as a “world-class player,” not just a businessman in his interview with journalists. Tillerson has close ties with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, with which the U.S. has tenuous relations. According to the Washington Post, Tillerson has known Russian President Putin for at least 17 years from the period of former Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

There is criticism that Trump, who has “America first” mantra, is applying an industry-friendly perspective even to diplomatic issues, including alliances, by considering ExxonMobil chief Tillerson as secretary of state despite his lack of diplomatic experience. The New York Times raised doubt over Tillerson’s ability to deal with China's claim to the South China Sea and North Korea’s nuclear program as well as Russia-related issues.

Seung-Heon Lee ddr@donga.com