After the election of Jimmy Carter, Holdridge continued to serve in Singapore until 1978. After that he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency until early 1981 as National Intelligence Officer for East Asia/Pacific, on detail from the State Department. In 1981 he became Assistant Secretary of State of East Asian & Pacific Affairs, then was appointed US Ambassador to Indonesia from 1983-86. Holdridge is also known for giving the final format for the so-called "Six Assurances" to Taiwan in 1982, formally adopted by the US House of Representatives in 2016. John Holdridge had three children with his wife Martha. After retiring from active service, he wrote a memoir on the restoration of US-China diplomatic relations. He also made occasional appearances as a commentator on Asian political affairs for American television. Holdridge died of pulmonary fibrosis in Washington, D.C. on July 12, 2001.