Desaix Anderson served for 35 years as a foreign service officer
in the U.S. State Department, working in Asia and on Asian issues.
From 1985-1989, following postings in Nepal, Vietnam, Taipei, Tokyo
and Thailand, Mr. Anderson served as deputy chief of mission in
Tokyo under Ambassador Mike Mansfield. He then became principal
deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific
(1989-92), opened the U.S. embassy in Hanoi after diplomatic relations
were established in 1995, and served as chargé working for
U.S.-Vietnamese reconciliation until May 1997. He subsequently
served as executive director of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development
Organization (KEDO) for over three years until April 2001. Mr.
Anderson currently writes on Asian issues and paints in New York
City. He speaks French, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai.
Mr. Anderson received his B.A. in history from Princeton University,
and pursued
graduate study in European literature at the University of California
at
Berkeley. He also served on active duty as an officer in the U.S.
Navy from 1958-60.
