Waters, who in June stepped down from his role leading the state department’s “China House” policy division at a time of fraught relations between the two countries, will be based in Washington as Eurasia Group’s managing director for China, the firm said in a statement.

“His deep analytical understanding of the issues and hands-on experience negotiating with Chinese authorities will help our clients grasp the complexities of China’s relationship with the world,” Eurasia Group chief executive officer Maziar Minovi said in the statement.

The state department had praised Waters and his “lasting legacy” when it announced he was leaving the post in May.

At the time, it said Waters, who also served as the then-deputy assistant secretary of state for China and Taiwan, would remain a member of the senior foreign service.

Waters had led China House since it was launched in December as a reorganisation of the department’s China desk to sharpen policies across regions where Beijing’s expanding influence challenges the US and its allies.

During his 27 years as a diplomat, Waters did multiple tours at the US embassy in Beijing and Chinese officials have told Reuters that he was viewed with respect in Beijing.

President Joe Biden’s administration has sought high-level meetings with China in an effort to keep ties from veering toward conflict, particularly after a diplomatic crisis that followed the US downing earlier this year of an alleged Chinese spy balloon.

In recent weeks, senior US officials, including secretary of state Antony Blinken, Treasury secretary Janet Yellen, and Biden’s climate envoy John Kerry, have all made trips to China.