Nomination of James Roderick Lilley To Be United States Ambassador to China
March 15, 1989

The President today announced his intention to nominate James Roderick Lilley to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the People's Republic of China. He would succeed Winston Lord.

During his government career, Ambassador Lilley has worked in Washington and in a number of American missions in East Asia, including the Philippines, Taiwan, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the People's Republic of China. In 1975 he was appointed national intelligence officer for China, the senior post in the intelligence community on Chinese affairs. In 1981 he served as political coordinator and senior East Asian specialist on the National Security Council. From 1984 to 1985, he was a consultant on international security affairs at the Department of Defense. He was Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Department of State, 1985 - 1986. In October 1986 he was appointed Ambassador to Korea and served there until January 1989. Ambassador Lilley has also served as an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies for 3 years.

Ambassador Lilley graduated from Yale University (B.A., 1951) and George Washington University (M.A., 1972). He served in the U.S. Army, 1945 - 1946, and in the U.S. Air Force as a first lieutenant in the reserves. He also attended the National War College in 1972. Ambassador Lilley is married and has three children.