Sandra Oudkirk
{{short description|United States career diplomat|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sandra Oudkirk
| image = SANDRA OUDKIRK, 2021.jpg
| caption = Oudkirk in 2021
| alt = Oudkirk smiling, standing in front of an American flag
| office = 15th Director of the American Institute in Taiwan
| predecessor = Brent Christensen
| successor = Raymond F. Greenehttps://www.ait.org.tw/raymond-f-greene-assumes-position-as-ait-director/
| president = Joe Biden
| term_start = July 15, 2021
| term_end = July 8, 2024
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| birth_place = Tampa, Florida, United States
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| nationality = United States
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| spouse = {{marriage|Scott M. Oudkirk|1994}}
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| profession = Diplomat
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| office3 = Special envoy to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
| term_start3 = 2019
| term_end3 = 2021
| education = Georgetown University (BS)
}}
{{Chinese
| order = ts
| t = 孫曉雅
| s = 孙晓雅
| p = Sūn Xiǎoyǎ
| w = Sun Hsiao-ya
}}
Sandra Springer Oudkirk ({{zh|t=孫曉雅|w=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
Oudkirk was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She is a graduate of Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.{{cite web |title=Sandra Oudkirk Announced as Director of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan |url=https://www.ait.org.tw/sandra-oudkirk-announced-as-ait-dir/ |website=American Institute in Taiwan |access-date=8 July 2021}}
Career
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.{{cite web |last1=U.S. State Department |title=Sandra Oudkirk |url=https://www.state.gov/biographies/sandra-oudkirk/ |access-date=8 July 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Yu |first1=Matt |last2=Lim |first2=Emerson |title=AIT Director-designate Sandra Oudkirk arrives in Taiwan |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202107120021 |access-date=16 July 2021 |agency=Central News Agency |date=12 July 2021}} 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.{{cite web |title=Biography |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/biog/bureau/264537.htm |website=U.S. Department of State |access-date=8 July 2021}}
=American Institute in Taiwan=
Oudkirk was appointed Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy of the United States in Taiwan, on July 8, 2021.{{cite news |last1=Ellis |first1=Samson |title=U.S. Names Taiwan Envoy With China Ambassador Post Still Vacant |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-07/u-s-names-taiwan-envoy-with-china-ambassador-post-still-vacant |website=Bloomberg |date=July 7, 2021 |access-date=8 July 2021}} She is the first woman to hold the role.{{cite web |title=US chooses new Taipei envoy, but its Beijing vacancy remains unfilled |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3140148/us-chooses-new-taipei-envoy-its-beijing-vacancy-remains |website=South China Morning Post |date=July 7, 2021 |access-date=July 8, 2021}} Oudkirk formally took office on July 15, 2021.{{cite news |last1=Lu |first1=Yi-hsuan |last2=Chin |first2=Jonathan |title=AIT Director Oudkirk takes office |url=https://taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2021/07/16/2003760945 |access-date=July 16, 2021 |work=Taipei Times |date=16 July 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Chung |first1=Yu-chen |last2=Lim |first2=Emerson |title=New AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk assumes post |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202107150016 |access-date=July 16, 2021 |agency=Central News Agency |date=15 July 2021}}
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."{{Cite news |last=Feng |first=Emily |date=December 1, 2023 |title=Taiwan is driving China-U.S. tensions. Meet the person right in the middle |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/12/01/1216032011/taiwan-china-us-xi-jinping-election-oudkirk |access-date=December 2, 2023}} Before Oudkirk left the Institute in early July 2024,{{cite news |last1=Wu |first1=Shu-wei |last2=Teng |first2=Pei-ju |title=AIT director bids farewell after three-year term in Taiwan |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202407060015 |access-date=July 10, 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=July 6, 2024}} Taiwan awarded her a Grand Medal of Diplomacy and the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon.{{cite news |last1=Wen |first1=Kuei-hsiang |last2=Ten |first2=Pei-ju |title=President Lai confers medal on outgoing U.S. envoy Oudkirk |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202407030017 |access-date=July 10, 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=July 3, 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Yeh |first1=Joseph |title=Taiwan confers medal on outgoing U.S. envoy after 3-year term |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202407020009 |access-date=July 10, 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=July 2, 2024}}
Personal life
Oudkirk is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Turkish.{{cite web |last1=Strong |first1=Matthew |title=US declines to confirm appointment of first-ever woman envoy to Taiwan |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4167157 |website=Taiwan News |date=April 2, 2021 |access-date=July 8, 2021}} She is married to Scott M. Oudkirk,{{Cite journal |title=Foreign Service personnel |journal=State Magazine |number=415 |publisher=Bureau of Personnel, U.S. Department of State |issn=0278-1859 |date=1998 |page=42 }}{{Cite web |title=Deputy Chief of Mission Scott M. Oudkirk|publisher=U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Turkey |url=https://tr.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/dcm/ |date=2021 |language=en |access-date=2021-08-11 |archive-date=2021-07-28 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210728112546/https://tr.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/dcm/ }} with whom she served at embassies in Beijing{{Cite web |title=美利坚合众国大使馆 |trans-title=Embassy of the United States of America |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (FMPRC) |url=http://wcm.fmprc.gov.cn/pub/eng/ziliao/wjgmc/t527356.htm |date=2012-09-26 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20171229132832/http://wcm.fmprc.gov.cn/pub/eng/ziliao/wjgmc/t527356.htm |archivedate=2017-12-29 |accessdate=2019-11-11 |language=zh-hans }} and Ankara. Their three children, Andy, Olivia and Thomas, were born in Turkey.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://www.npr.org/2023/12/01/1216032011/taiwan-china-us-xi-jinping-election-oudkirk Taiwan is driving China-U.S. tensions. Meet the person right in the middle]
- {{C-SPAN|118571}}
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{{s-bef|before=Brent Christensen}}
{{s-ttl|title=Director of the American Institute in Taiwan|years=2021–2024}}
{{s-aft|after=Raymond F. Greene}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oudkirk, Sandra}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Women diplomats for the United States
Category:21st-century American diplomats
Category:United States Department of State officials
Category:Directors of the American Institute in Taiwan
Category:People from Tampa, Florida
Category:Walsh School of Foreign Service alumni
Category:21st-century American women
Category:Recipients of the Order of Brilliant Star
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