Trump's pick for secretary of state more deal maker than diplomat

 In an unconventional move, president-elect Donald Trump has chosen oil super executive Rex Tillerson for secretary of state, instead of sticking to the usual protocol of a new president picking a career diplomat or academic. Experts said this reflects Trump's view that the nation's top diplomat should be improving trade relations.

Trump shocked the world a month ago when he clinched the White House after the vast majority of polls, experts and pundits predicted rival Hillary Clinton would be the next president. Trump has been scrambling to pick a cabinet before he is sworn in next month, and has chosen Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation - the world's sixth largest company by revenue - to fill the slot of secretary of state.

The choice is highly unusual in that it is usual for diplomats or academics - or in Clinton's case politicians - to fill the position.

But the Trump team stands by their choice, as Tillerson has overseen a multi-billion dollar company with an annual revenue larger than the GDP of some nations. In Trump's mind, Tillerson is a doer, not just a talker.

"Tillerson's appointment reflects Trump's belief that foreign policy needs to reflect a far more transactional, deal-making approach to pursue U.S. interests instead of traditional diplomacy," Dan Mahaffee, an analyst with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua.

"Trump is very skeptical of traditional diplomacy and thinks it has resulted in the U.S. losing out while others have pulled ahead," he said.

Tillerson will be influential as Secretary of State in policy because he will have space to set policy and his stature as a CEO of a major company appeals to Trump.

"Given his past experience, I think that energy and climate policy will be a key area of influence," Mahaffee said.

Tillerson is already being blasted for his close ties to Russia as Exxon CEO, although Trump has dismissed those criticisms as inconsequential. Former secretary of state and foreign policy guru Henry Kissinger also recently told U.S. media that in Tillerson's former position, it was his job to build solid ties with Russia.

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua that Trump picked someone with close ties to Russia and who has business relationships all around the world.

"Tillerson is an unconventional choice because he does not have diplomatic experience and has never served in government. But that is in keeping with Trump's own perspective. He clearly wanted someone from outside the traditional State Department orbit and someone who would shake things up," West said.

West added that the Secretary of State is very influential because he has lots of discretion in dealing with foreign policy. He will have much greater information than is available to the president and that will create a lot of autonomy for Tillerson. "We can expect the new Secretary to be very business-oriented and to focus on improving trade relations," he said.

source: Xinhua