Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

John Tkacik is a Senior Research Fellow in Asian Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

As a research fellow, Tkacik (pronounced "tassik") focuses on U.S. policies toward China (including Hong Kong and Macao), Taiwan and Mongolia.

Tkacik is a retired diplomat who served overseas with the U.S. Foreign Service in Taiwan, Iceland, Hong Kong, and two tours in China as well as in the State Department where he was Chief of China Analysis in its Bureau of Intelligence and Research. After retiring, Tkacik worked in Hong Kong as Vice President for External Relations for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco International. He joined Heritage in 2001.

Tkacik is the editor and main contributor to Reshaping the Taiwan Strait, a 2007 Heritage book about realistic U.S. policy alternatives for Taiwan. He also wrote Rethinking One China, a book about U.S. policy toward China and Taiwan published by Heritage in 2004. He is fluent in Chinese and has a master's degree from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University.