On October 20, the Cornell Levinson China and Asia-Pacific Studies (CAPS) program hosted an informal and off-the-record conversation between Tom Cooney, Vice President and International Policy Advisor at Capital Group and a former senior career diplomat, and Professor Jessica Chen Weiss, Director of the CAPS program.
Tom Cooney reflected on his 25 years of dedicated foreign service in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Chile, Argentina, and Washington DC, as well as at the U.S. Army Pacific Command, and offered advice to students who want to pursue a career in U.S. foreign service.
Cooney shared his unique insights into U.S.-China relations and his personal experiences in critical moments in the bilateral relationship, such as the U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in May 1999, where he was serving as assistant press spokesperson in the U.S. embassy in Beijing, in the midst of national outrage and protest in China.
Cooney also shared his experience of a successful transition from public service to the private sector, his leadership at General Motors as vice president of global public policy, his view on cross-strait relations, and China's growing influence in the global South, such as Latin America.
