John J. Tkacik, Jr.

 John Tkacik is a retired U.S. foreign service officer, businessman and policy commentator with over 40 years' experience in China, Taiwan and Mongolian affairs. He spent 24 years in the Department of State and in diplomatic and consular offices in Taiwan and China and was Chief of China Analysis in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Intelligence and Research before retiring in 1994. He was vice president for government relations for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International and was a consultant to RJR-Nabisco China from 1996 to 1999. He joined The Heritage Foundation in 2001 where he was senior research fellow in Asian studies. At Heritage, he penned press commentaries and research studies on China, Taiwan and Mongolian issues, many of which are available at this site, and edited two books: Reshaping the Taiwan Strait and Rethinking One China. He is fluent in Chinese. He has degrees from Harvard and Georgetown universities.