Ambassador

Former Ambassador Christopher J. LaFleur

A graduate of Oberlin College, Mr. LaFleur joined the United States Foreign Service in 1973. He was subsequently assigned as a political officer at the U.S. Embassies in Tokyo and Paris, as U.S. Consul in Sapporo, Japan, and as Political Advisor at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. He later served as Chief of the Offices of Political-Military Affairs and of External Affairs in the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

In the Department of State, he was appointed a staff officer in the Executive Secretariat, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs and Director of the Office of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Following promotion to the Senior Foreign Service, Mr. LaFleur served as Deputy Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (1993-1997), as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo (1997-2001), and as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs in the Department of State (2001-2003).

From February, 2003 until April, 2004, he represented the State Department in consultations on the future of our alliances with Japan and with the Republic of Korea.

Immediately prior to his appointment as Ambassador to Malaysia, Mr. LaFleur served as the 2003-2004 Cyrus Vance Fellow in Diplomatic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

He is married to Keiko Miyazawa; they have two daughters.