The Foreign Service Journal, December 2021

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2021 31 assistance in creating successful speaker programs to raise awareness of the Uyghur plight among colleagues, journalists and think-tanks in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Assessing that U.S. missions needed better guidance on how to work with Uyghur diaspora populations, Ms. Kuenne, in coop- eration with China Watcher Che Lee, crafted departmentwide guidance on the topic. She curated a slate of Uyghur-themed programming options, ranging from “Poetry as Political Resis- tance” to “Digital Autocracy in Xinjiang,” which paved the way for embassies to engage more effectively. In concert with embassy colleagues, she worked closely with Czech legislators to raise Uyghur issues in the country’s parliament. As a result, in March 2021 the Czech government supported the imposition of European Union sanctions against four Chinese officials and one entity implicated in human rights abuses in Xinjiang. When considering opportunities for trans- Atlantic cooperation on Xinjiang after China imposed coun- tersanctions, the U.S. National Security Council relied on Ms. Kuenne’s assessments to inform the National Security Adviser. Ms. Kuenne’s creative and effective work in Prague led directly to a new congressional allocation of $2 million in public diplomacy funds for RCOs. Eligible programs modeled after hers will increase public diplomacy programming in cooperation with populations including Uyghurs, Tibetans and other Chinese political refugees. In addition to her policy contributions, Ms. Kuenne took decisive action in three cases in which Europe-based Uyghurs faced deportation back to China. In each instance, her determi- nation to help these individuals resulted in their finding asylum in a third country. By working with U.S. allies and partners to oppose Chinese actions that violate human rights and stifle democratic processes, Ms. Kuenne has made singular contribu- tions in furthering top U.S. foreign policy priorities related to the advancement of democracy. Erika Kuenne is the regional China officer covering Eastern Europe. Prior to this assignment, she was a Holbrooke Fellow at Central European University’s Shattuck Center on Conflict, Negotiation and Recovery. She has served as the cultural affairs officer in Belgrade, assistant cultural affairs officer in Beijing and as a consular officer in Shenyang. Prior to joining the Foreign Service in 2005, Ms. Kuenne worked at the Colorado Court of Appeals as a law clerk for the Honorable Marsha Piccone. She has a B.A. degree in international relations from the University of Colorado and a juris doctor degree from the University of Denver College of Law. She studied Manda- rin as a university student in both Kunming and Taipei. Erika Kuenne visits the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2021. Erika Kuenne speaks at a workshop titled “Information Warfare of the Chinese Communist Party and PRC Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” in Prague, Czech Republic, in July 2021. Ms. Kuenne’s creative and effective work in Prague led directly to a new congressional allocation of $2 million in public diplomacy funds for RCOs.