Deputy Assistant Secretary
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
July 26, 2021 -
Present
Rick Waters is the China Coordinator and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for China and Taiwan. In this role, he supervises the Office of China Coordination (“China House”) and the Taiwan Coordination staff and has day-to-day responsibility for our diplomatic missions in China and our relationship with the American Institute in Taipei. His previous roles at the State Department include Executive Assistant to Under Secretary of State, Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs, and Political Counselor positions at Embassies Beijing and Islamabad and Consulate General Jerusalem. Rick has served multiple tours in China including 1998-2001, during the accidental bombing of the Belgrade Embassy and the EP3 Hainan Island crisis. His Department tours include Director for Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Palestinian Affairs at the National Security Council and several positions in the Bureau of Near Eastern and Political Military Affairs. Rick speaks Mandarin, Arabic, and Spanish.
