List of ambassadors of the United States to China

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Ambassador of the United States to the People's Republic of China
美利坚合众国驻华大使
US Department of State official seal.svg
Seal of the United States Department of State
Flag of a United States ambassador.svg
Flag of a United States Ambassador
Incumbent
Sarah M. Beran
Chargé d'Affairs ad interim
since January 18, 2025
Residence Beijing
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
FormationFebruary 27, 1979
First holder Leonard Woodcock
Website china.usembassy-china.org.cn

The United States ambassador to China is the chief United States diplomat to the People's Republic of China. The United States has sent diplomatic representatives to China since 1844, when Caleb Cushing, as commissioner, negotiated the Treaty of Wanghia. Commissioners represented the United States in China from 1844 to 1857. Until 1898, China did not have a system in place for the Emperor to accept the Letters of Credence of foreign representatives. From 1858 to 1935, the United States representative in China was formally Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to China. The American legation in Nanjing was upgraded to an embassy in 1935 and the Envoy was promoted to Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

Contents

During the republican era, the United States recognized the Beiyang Government in Beijing from 1912 to 1928 and the Nationalist Government in Nanjing (and Chongqing from 1937 to 1945) from 1928 onwards. After the Communist Party established the People's Republic of China in mainland China in 1949 and the Kuomintang moved the Republic of China government from Nanjing to Taipei of Taiwan, the United States continued to recognize the Republic of China as the legitimate Chinese government and maintained its embassy in Taiwan. However, in 1973, the United States established a Liaison Office in Beijing to represent its interests in mainland China. In 1976, the Chief of the Liaison Office was promoted to the rank of ambassador. In December 1978, the United States severed official relations with the Republic of China and in January 1979, established formal relations with the People's Republic of China. The United States Liaison Office in Beijing was upgraded to an embassy on March 1, 1979. The American Institute in Taiwan was established in 1979 to serve as the unofficial United States representative to Taiwan, with the director of its Taipei Office taking the role of a de facto ambassador.

Chronology

Representation is as follows (years refer to dates of actual service):

Qing Empire:

Republic of China:

People's Republic of China:

List of envoys to the Qing Empire

NamePortraitHome statePresented credentialsTerminated
Caleb Cushing Caleb Cushing (cropped).jpg Massachusetts June 12, 1844August 27, 1844
Alexander Hill Everett Alexander Hill Everett, 1790-1847, half, facing slightly right (cropped).jpg Massachusetts October 26, 1846June 28, 1847
John W. Davis John Wesley Davis.jpg Indiana October 6, 1848May 25, 1850
Humphrey Marshall HMarshall.jpg Kentucky July 4, 1853January 27, 1854
Robert Milligan McLane Governor robert mclane of maryland.jpg Maryland November 3, 1854December 12, 1854
Peter Parker Peter Parker (physician) in the 1860s, from - Hon. Parker - NARA - 528706 (cropped).jpg Massachusetts July 15, 1856August 25, 1857
William B. Reed William Bradford Reed.jpg Pennsylvania May 3, 1858November 11, 1858
John Elliott Ward John E. Ward cph.3a01040.jpg Georgia August 10, 1859December 15, 1860
Anson Burlingame Burlingame.gif Massachusetts August 20, 1862November 21, 1867
John Ross Browne J Ross Browne.jpg California October 28, 1868July 5, 1869
Frederick Low FrederickFerdinandLow.png California April 27, 1870July 24, 1873
Benjamin Avery Benjamin Parke Avery, 1828-1875. half lgth., (2) U.S. Minister to China LCCN99614240 (cropped).tif California November 29, 1874November 8, 1875
George Seward George Seward.png California April 24, 1876August 16, 1880
James Burrill Angell James Burrill Angell.png Michigan August 16, 1880October 4, 1881
John Russell Young John Russell Young.jpg New York August 17, 1882April 7, 1885
Charles Harvey Denby Charles Denby, 1830-1904 LCCN2002706285.jpg Indiana October 1, 1885July 8, 1898
Edwin H. Conger Edwin Hurd Conger, 1843-1907.jpg Iowa July 8, 1898April 4, 1905
William Woodville Rockhill William Woodville Rockhill.jpg District of Columbia June 17, 1905June 1, 1909
William J. Calhoun Portrait of William J. Calhoun.jpg Illinois April 21, 1910February 26, 1913 [note 1]

List of envoys to the Republic of China

NamePortraitHome statePresented credentialsTerminated
William J. Calhoun Portrait of William J. Calhoun.jpg Illinois April 21, 1910February 26, 1913 [note 2]
Paul Samuel Reinsch Portrait of Paul Samuel Reinsch.jpg Wisconsin November 15, 1913September 15, 1919
Charles Richard Crane Portrait of Charles Richard Crane.jpg Illinois June 12, 1920July 2, 1921
Jacob Gould Schurman June 1925 photo, Bundesarchiv Bild 102-09830, Jacob Gould Schurman (cropped).jpg New York September 12, 1921April 15, 1925
John Van Antwerp MacMurray John Van Antwerp MacMurray restored.jpg New Jersey July 15, 1925November 22, 1929 [note 3]
Nelson T. Johnson Nelson T. Johnson cph.3c35451.jpg Oklahoma February 1, 1930September 17, 1935
George Marshall George C. Marshall, U.S. Secretary of State.jpg Virginia December 20, 1945January 1947

List of ambassadors to the Republic of China

NamePortraitBirthplacePresented credentialsTerminated
Nelson T. Johnson Nelson T. Johnson cph.3c35451.jpg Oklahoma September 17, 1935May 14, 1941
Clarence E. Gauss Clarence Gauss.png Connecticut May 26, 1941November 14, 1944
Patrick J. Hurley PJayHurl.jpg Oklahoma January 8, 1945September 22, 1945
John Leighton Stuart John Leighton Stuart1948.jpg Zhejiang Province July 19, 1946August 2, 1949

The Communists took the Nationalist capital of Nanjing in April 1949, but Stuart was not recalled from China until August 1949. The United States did not recognize the new government of the People's Republic of China upon its founding in October 1949. The Consulate in Taipei was upgraded to an embassy in 1953, and therefore the Ambassador to China maintained residence at Taipei, Taiwan, in the Republic of China until relations were severed in 1979. (See: Former American Consulate in Taipei)

NamePortraitHome statePresented credentialsTerminated
Karl L. Rankin American Ambassador Karl Rankin Lan Qin Da Shi .jpg Maine April 2, 1953December 30, 1957
Everett F. Drumright Photograph of Everett F. Drumright 59-SO-82-VS-540-58.jpg Oklahoma March 8, 1958March 8, 1962
Alan G. Kirk Alan g kirk.jpg New York July 5, 1962January 18, 1963
Jerauld Wright U.S. Ambassador Jerauld Wright Mei Guo Da Shi Lai Te .jpg District of Columbia June 29, 1963July 25, 1965
Walter P. McConaughy Photograph of Walter P. McConaughy 59-SO-186-VS-255-53.jpg Alabama June 28, 1966April 4, 1974
Leonard S. Unger Photograph of Leonard S. Unger 59-SO-335-VS-1078-62.jpg Maryland May 25, 1974January 19, 1979

For a list of de facto United States ambassadors to Republic of China since 1979, see list of Directors of the American Institute in Taiwan.

List of chiefs of the United States Liaison Office in Beijing

Between May 1973 and March 1979 prior to the official establishment of diplomatic relations, the United States dispatched a head of United States Liaison Office in Beijing.

NamePortraitHome statePresented credentialsTerminated
David K. E. Bruce David K. E. Bruce.jpg Virginia May 14, 1973September 25, 1974
George H. W. Bush DCI George Bush.jpg Texas September 26, 1974December 7, 1975
Thomas S. Gates Jr. Thomas S Gates Jr..jpg Pennsylvania May 6, 1976May 8, 1977
Leonard Woodcock Leonard F. Woodcock.jpg Michigan July 26, 1977March 7, 1979 [note 4]

List of ambassadors to the People's Republic of China

The United States established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and terminated them with the Republic of China, on January 1, 1979. The American Embassy at Taipei closed February 28, 1979, while the American Liaison Office at Beijing was redesignated the American Embassy on March 1, 1979.

NamePortraitHome statePresented credentialsTerminated
Leonard Woodcock Leonard F. Woodcock.jpg Michigan March 7, 1979February 13, 1981
Arthur W. Hummel Jr. Arthur W Hummel Jr.jpg Maryland September 24, 1981September 24, 1985
Winston Lord Winston Lord.jpg New York November 19, 1985April 23, 1989
James Lilley James Roderick Lilley.jpg Maryland May 8, 1989May 10, 1991
J. Stapleton Roy Roy Stapleton.jpg Pennsylvania August 20, 1991June 17, 1995
Jim Sasser James R. Sasser.jpg Tennessee February 14, 1996July 1, 1999
Joseph Prueher Ambassador Joseph Prueher.jpg Tennessee December 15, 1999May 1, 2001
Clark T. Randt Jr. Clark T Randt Jr.jpg Connecticut July 28, 2001January 20, 2009
Jon Huntsman Jr. Ambassador Jon Huntsman.jpg Utah August 28, 2009April 30, 2011
Gary Locke Gary Locke official portrait.jpg Washington August 16, 2011February 21, 2014
Max Baucus Portrait of Ambassador Max Baucus.jpg Montana March 20, 2014January 16, 2017
Terry E. Branstad Terry Branstad official photo.jpg Iowa July 12, 2017October 4, 2020
R. Nicholas Burns [1] Nicholas Burns, U.S. Ambassador.jpg Massachusetts April 1, 2022January 18, 2025

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Diplomatic relations with China interrupted on February 12, 1912 upon the abdication of Puyi.
  2. ↑ Diplomatic relations with China interrupted on February 12, 1912 upon the abdication of Puyi.
  3. ↑ Diplomatic relations with Beijing's Beiyang government terminated and recognition given to Nanjing's National Government on October 1, 1928.
  4. ↑ Upon normalization of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, Leonard Woodcock was promoted from liaison to ambassador in the new embassy.

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References

Citations

  1. ↑ "China demands U.S. halt Olympics 'interference'". The Globe and Mail. January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2022.

Sources

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