Ambassador Kurt Tong is a Partner at The Asia Group, where he leads the firm's work in Japan and the broader East Asia region. A leading expert in diplomacy and economic affairs in East Asia, Ambassador Tong brings thirty years of experience in the Department of State as a career Foreign Service Officer and member of the Senior Foreign Service. Prior to joining The Asia Group, Ambassador Tong served as Consul General in Hong Kong and Macau, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs at the State Department, Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Director for Asian Affairs at the White House National Security Council.