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Sandra Oudkirk

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Sandra Oudkirk
Oudkirk smiling, standing in front of an American flag
Oudkirk in 2021
15th Director of the American Institute in Taiwan
In office
July 15, 2021 – July 8, 2024
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byBrent Christensen
Succeeded byRaymond F. Greene[1]
Special envoy to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
In office
2019–2021
Personal details
BornTampa, Florida
NationalityUnited States
SpouseScott M. Oudkirk
Alma materGeorgetown University
ProfessionDiplomat
Sandra Oudkirk
Traditional Chinese孫曉雅
Simplified Chinese孙晓雅
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinSūn Xiǎoyǎ
Wade–GilesSun Hsiao-ya

Sandra Springer Oudkirk (Chinese: 孫曉雅; Wade–Giles: Sun Hsiao-ya) is a United States diplomat who previously served as Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), the de facto embassy of the United States in Taiwan. She is the first woman to hold the role. Oudkirk's prior appointments include U.S. Senior Official for APEC and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Early life and education

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Oudkirk was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She is a graduate of Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.[2]

Career

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Oudkirk started working for the US State Department in 1991. She has served consular assignments in Taipei and Dublin as well as assignments in Turkey, Jamaica, and China. Oudkirk's prior appointments include U.S. Senior Official for APEC and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands.[3][4] In October 2019, she attended the Pacific Islands Dialogue and the Yushan Forum where she emphasized the need for diplomatic ties between Taiwan and its Pacific allies.[5]

American Institute in Taiwan

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Oudkirk was appointed Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy of the United States in Taiwan, on July 8, 2021.[6] She is the first woman to hold the role.[7] Oudkirk formally took office on July 15, 2021.[8][9]

In a December 2023 interview with NPR, when asked if she believed a PRC invasion of Taiwan was imminent, Oudkirk stated: "There's an important distinction between making plans and training troops and actually, you know, getting ready to do something. And I think we have even heard from the PRC [People's Republic of China] themselves that their preference would be for a peaceful reunification. And the United States is confident that there is no imminent threat of invasion for Taiwan."[10] Before Oudkirk left the Institute in early July 2024,[11] Taiwan awarded her a Grand Medal of Diplomacy and the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon.[12][13]

Personal life

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Oudkirk is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Turkish.[14] She is married to Scott McConnin Oudkirk,[15][16] with whom she served at embassies in Beijing[17] and Ankara. Their three children, Andy, Olivia and Thomas, were born in Turkey.[16]

References

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  1. ^ https://www.ait.org.tw/raymond-f-greene-assumes-position-as-ait-director/
  2. ^ "Sandra Oudkirk Announced as Director of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan". American Institute in Taiwan. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  3. ^ U.S. State Department. "Sandra Oudkirk". Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  4. ^ Yu, Matt; Lim, Emerson (July 12, 2021). "AIT Director-designate Sandra Oudkirk arrives in Taiwan". Central News Agency. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  5. ^ "Biography". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  6. ^ Ellis, Samson (July 7, 2021). "U.S. Names Taiwan Envoy With China Ambassador Post Still Vacant". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  7. ^ "US chooses new Taipei envoy, but its Beijing vacancy remains unfilled". South China Morning Post. July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  8. ^ Lu, Yi-hsuan; Chin, Jonathan (July 16, 2021). "AIT Director Oudkirk takes office". Taipei Times. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  9. ^ Chung, Yu-chen; Lim, Emerson (July 15, 2021). "New AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk assumes post". Central News Agency. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  10. ^ Feng, Emily (December 1, 2023). "Taiwan is driving China-U.S. tensions. Meet the person right in the middle". NPR. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  11. ^ Wu, Shu-wei; Teng, Pei-ju (July 6, 2024). "AIT director bids farewell after three-year term in Taiwan". Central News Agency. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Wen, Kuei-hsiang; Ten, Pei-ju (July 3, 2024). "President Lai confers medal on outgoing U.S. envoy Oudkirk". Central News Agency. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  13. ^ Yeh, Joseph (July 2, 2024). "Taiwan confers medal on outgoing U.S. envoy after 3-year term". Central News Agency. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  14. ^ Strong, Matthew (April 2, 2021). "US declines to confirm appointment of first-ever woman envoy to Taiwan". Taiwan News. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  15. ^ "Foreign Service personnel". State Magazine (415). Bureau of Personnel, U.S. Department of State: 42. 1998. ISSN 0278-1859.
  16. ^ a b "Deputy Chief of Mission Scott M. Oudkirk". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Turkey. 2021. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
  17. ^ "美利坚合众国大使馆" [Embassy of the United States of America] (in Simplified Chinese). Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (FMPRC). September 26, 2012. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
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Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Director of the American Institute in Taiwan
2021–present 		Incumbent


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