Donald M. Anderson
USCPF Boardmember
Donald M. Anderson was born in Sioux City, Iowa. After graduation from high school there, he attended undergraduate school at Louisiana State University. Following two years in the army he entered the Foreign Service in 1958. Mr. Anderson began Chinese language and area training in 1960 and upon completion of the program joined the staff of the American Consulate General in Hong Kong in 1962. Three years later he returned to Taiwan for a year of advanced interpreter training, following which he was assigned to the China Desk in the U.S. Department of State. In addition to other duties, he traveled periodically to Warsaw, Poland, to act as interpreter for the ambassadorial talks between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.
In 1970 Mr. Anderson left Washington for a two-year assignment as a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India. Following former President Nixon’s visit to China in 1972, Mr. Anderson was transferred to Paris where he assisted Ambassador Arthur K. Watson in the liaison functions between the American and Chinese embassies, which was the agreed point of contact following the Nixon visit. With the agreement a year later to open liaison offices in the capitals of both countries, Mr. Anderson was transferred to Beijing as a political officer and later as Chief of the Political Section.
In 1975 Mr. Anderson returned to Hong Kong to head the China Reporting Section of the Consulate General. From 1977-78 he served as the Deputy U.S. Representative for Micronesian Political Status Negotiations, following which he joined the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs in July 1983, taking part in President Reagan’s visit to China as well as numerous other high level visits to the United States by Chinese leaders. From 1986-1990 Mr. Anderson served as Consul General in Hong Kong.
After his retirement from the Foreign Service in 1990, Mr. Anderson was advisor for Asian affairs with Riggs National Bank in Washington, and from 1991-94 he was President of the U.S.-China Business Council, a non-profit organization serving over 250 American companies and corporations doing business with China.
Mr. Anderson has been the recipient of two Presidential Meritorious Honor Awards, and numerous performance awards by the U.S. Department of State.