Convocation: Michael Armacost '58

A veteran diplomat and a prominent figure in the national and international policy community, Michael Armacost is currently a fellow at Stanford University’s Institute for International Studies. He had previously served as president of Washington D.C.’s Brookings Institution, the nation’s oldest think tank and a leader in research on politics, government, international affairs, economics, and public policy. During a prior twenty-four year government career, Armacost served, among other positions, as undersecretary of state for political affairs and as ambassador to Japan and the Philippines. He is the author of three books. The most recent, Friends or Rivals?, draws on his tenure as ambassador to Japan and considers the future dealings of the United States with this extremely important trading partner and ally. He also co-authored The Future of America's Alliances in Northeast Asia, which examines the similarities and differences of America’s alliances with Japan and South Korea. The title of his presentation was "How Should We Think About China: Threat? Partner? Competitor? Wake-Up Call?"