Joe Biden has nominated Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F Kennedy, to be the US ambassador to Australia. Kennedy, 63, a member of one of America’s most famous political families, has long been considered a leading candidate for a high-profile envoy position after she threw her support behind Biden’s presidential campaign. In a statement, Kennedy called Australia “a country that is as vital to our future security and prosperity.” She added: “I look forward to collaborating with the government of Australia to strengthen our alliance, improve global health and increase vaccine access during this terrible pandemic and to address the urgent climate crisis. I am excited to get to know the Australian people, learn about their fascinating country and share with them what I love most about America.” Kennedy previously served as US ambassador to Japan under Barack Obama, from 2013 to 2010. She was the first female US ambassador to Japan and in a statement announcing the new position in Australia, the White House lauded her work there. “She advanced the realignment of US Forces in Okinawa, promoted women’s empowerment in Japan, and increased student exchange between the US and Japan,” it said. “In 2017, she founded the International Poetry Exchange Project to virtually connect students in Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and the Bronx through the power of the spoken word.” Last month Kennedy was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun, the highest Japanese honor for which foreigners are eligible. Kennedy was an important supporter of Biden in his campaign to be president. In a Boston Globe editorial to announce her endorsement, Kennedy praised Biden for his public service over his long career as a public servant and recalled him visiting Tokyo while she was ambassador. “He radiated American optimism and generosity of spirit. He made clear that America would always stand by our allies, and that we were committed to keeping the region peaceful and prosperous,” she wrote in the column. Kennedy’s appointment comes at a time when Australia and the US have been deepening their military ties amid increasing concern about what they see as China’s more assertive conduct. In September Australia, the UK and the US formed a security partnership called Aukus, in which the countries are planning how Australia can acquire at least eight nuclear-powered submarines. The Australian foreign minister, Marise Payne, discussed tensions across the Taiwan Strait during a meeting with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, in the UK on Saturday. Meeting on the the sidelines of a G7 foreign and development ministers’ meeting in Liverpool, Payne and Blinken also “agreed on the importance of having a Senate-confirmed Ambassador in place in Canberra as soon as possible in light of the scope and scale of shared challenges we face”. Without an ambassador in place in Canberra, senior diplomat Mike Goldman has been serving as the US embassy’s charge d’affaires. The ambassador under the Trump administration, Arthur Culvahouse, left Canberra in January in line with convention. At the same time Biden also announced that former top ice skater Michelle Kwan was being nominated to be ambassador to Belize. Kwan is the most decorated figure skater in US sporting history, but has spent many years working on behalf of the US state department in public diplomacy, especially focused on youth.