Robert W. Forden

Robert William Forden is an American diplomat who served as the United States' Chargé d'affaires to China from 2020 to 2021. He previously served as the deputy chief of mission to the American Institute in Taiwan and the deputy chief of mission to the Embassy of the United States in Beijing. He was President Joe Biden's nominee to be United States Ambassador to Cambodia, but the nomination expired on January 3, 2025 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee could act on it.

Early life and education Forden was born in Southern California He earned a Bachelor of Arts in politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a postgraduate degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in international trade and Asian diplomatic history.

Career Forden's experience in China stems from his time teaching English at universities in Shenyang and Beijing from 1981 to 1983. In 2015, Forden was named the 15th deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan, a position he held until 2018.

Forden returned to Beijing in 2018 to serve as the United States' deputy chief of mission to China. In 2020, Terry Branstad, the United States ambassador to China, was asked to step down by President Donald Trump, so that Branstad could assist with Trump's presidential campaign. To replace him, Forden was appointed to the post of Chargé d'affaires.

President Biden renominated Forden the same day. Though nominated twice, Forden was never confirmed to be the US Ambassador to Cambodia and the second Trump administration on June 2, 2026 nominated Christopher Anderson to be the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Personal life Forden is married to Hui-chuan Chi , a native of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. They have three children. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and Vietnamese.