Ambassadors who helped shape Sino-US ties

4th US ambassador to China: James Roderick Lilley

Term of appointment: April 20, 1989 - May 10, 1991

China connections: Lilley was born in Qingdao, a coastal city in eastern China, in 1928 and lived in the country until 1940. He was the only American to have served as head of US missions on both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Major issues: Lilley was appointed by former US president George H. W. Bush. The US imposed "sanctions" on China on June 5, 1989 that included suspending high-level exchanges between the countries and stopping the sale of all military equipment and weapons to China. This led to a low point in bilateral relations.