TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Veteran diplomat Raymond Greene will move to Taipei next summer to take over as the top United States representative in the country, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said Wednesday (May 29).

He will succeed incumbent AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk, who has been serving as the de facto U.S. ambassador in Taiwan since 2021. Greene is no stranger to Taiwan, as he was the deputy director from 2018 to 2021.

The AIT statement emphasized Greene’s experience with Asia-Pacific issues during 28 years in the diplomatic service, including stints in Chengdu, Okinawa, and Manila. He also worked at the National Security Council and as chair of the Economic Committee at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

Greene’s most recent role was deputy chief of mission of the U.S. embassy in Tokyo. He married a Taiwanese woman and spoke fluent Mandarin and Japanese, CNA reported.