User:CWH/Christopher J. LaFleur

Christopher J. LaFleur (12 December 1949 - ) is a former American Foreign Service Officer, foundation executive, and board member. He served as American ambassador to Malaysia, 2004-2007.

He is married to Keiko Miyazawa, a Japanese businesswoman and daughter of Miyazawa Kiichi, Prime Minister of Japan, 1991-1993. They have two children. Their daughter Sarah Miyazawa LaFleur is an American businesswoman and fashion designer. Their daughter, Emma Miyazawa (b. 23 November 1988) is a Japanese television personality and actress.

Education
LaFleur is a 1972 graduate of Oberlin College, where he majored in Asian Studies.

Diplomatic career
In his career in the Foreign Service, he was director of the State Department’s Office of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (1991-93), deputy director of the American Institute in Taiwan (1993-1997), minister and deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo (1997-2001) and principal deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (2001-2003). In 2003-2004, he headed the State Department team in talks charting the future of the U.S. alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea and served as the Cyrus Vance Fellow in Diplomatic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

LaFleur has also served as Special Advisor to the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, Chairman of the Board of the DTCC Data Repository Japan, as Senior Director at McLarty Associates, as an outside director of Tsuneishi Holdings, and as Vice Chairman of the America-Japan Society of Tokyo. He is also an advisor to the US-Japan Research Institute and to Ashoka, the pioneer in social entrepreneurship.