U.S. embassy in Japan official named as new representative to Taiwan

Washington, May 28 (CNA) Raymond Greene, the deputy chief of mission of the United States Embassy in Japan, has been named as the new de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan.

Greene, who has served in his post in Tokyo since July 17, 2021, will succeed incumbent American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Taipei Director Sandra Oudkirk this summer, the AIT announced Tuesday.

The AIT represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties. It is headquartered in Virginia and has a main office in Taipei and a branch office in Kaohsiung.

Its Taipei director serves as the top U.S. envoy to Taiwan while its chairperson serves more of a ceremonial role.

According to the AIT, Greene, who speaks Japanese and Mandarin Chinese and has been in the diplomatic corps for 28 years, is a career member of the State Department's Senior Foreign Service with a rank of minister-counselor.

He served as deputy AIT director from 2018 to 2021.

In Washington, Greene has served as director for Japan and East Asian Economic Affairs at the National Security Council and director of the Office of Economic Policy in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Greene's previous overseas assignments included serving as U.S. consul general in Chengdu, China, and Okinawa, Japan. He was also a former chief of the Political-Military Affairs Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, deputy chief of the Political Section at AIT Taipei, and a political officer in Tokyo and Manila.

Oudkirk, the first woman to hold the AIT Taipei director role, assumed office in July 2021.