American Diplomacy in Asia and Who Will Shape It: Is the 21st Century Still the Pacific Century?

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Abstract

Former ambassador Kathleen Stephens delivered a talk on the state of US-Asia relations. As the world’s strategic and economic center of gravity shifted toward Asia, global pundits over recent decades predicted the 21st century would be the “Pacific Century.” American policymakers responded, with pivots and rebalances to Asia, with visions of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” and with a sharpening rivalry with a newly assertive, ambitious China. Now, in 2024, with multiple global and regional crises and realignments simultaneously occurring, the prospects for an American-dominated “Pacific Century” seem dimmer.

The American presence in Asia and the Pacific – military, economic, and diplomatic – was a major shaper of today’s Asia. Going forward, Ambassador Stephens emphasized the importance of a new generation of Asia hands who are deeply familiar with the region as well as of the wider global and domestic political context in the U.S. Ambassador Stephens shared important insights on these all these issues and how we might navigate them.

Biography

Ambassador (ret) Kathleen Stephens was a career Foreign Service officer, 1978-2014. She was U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (2008-2011), and acting U.S. Ambassador to India (2014). Other overseas postings included China, Northern Ireland, Yugoslavia, and Portugal. She served in numerous State Department and White House positions in Washington. She is Board Chair of The Korea Society and Vice-Chair of The Asia Foundation. She was President of the Korea Economic Institute of America 2018-2023.