Alan Yu

Background

About Alan Yu

As Senior VP for National Security and International Policy (NSIP) at the Center for American Progress, I lead a team of foreign policy experts who are setting a vision for a progressive U.S. foreign policy, centered on the principle that the interests of all Americans are advanced when the United States draws from its democratic values, our alliances and a rights framework in the conduct of U.S. foreign relations. NSIP is on the leading edge of identifying solutions to the growing international policy challenges of illiberalism, climate change, global health security, economic insecurity and racial and indigenous equity and injustice. I return to CAP, where I was a senior fellow and director for international climate policy from 2019-2021. Prior to returning to CAP, I served as a senior advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, leading the coordination of U.S. diplomatic engagement on climate policy with countries in the Indo-Pacific region. I also spearheaded efforts to re-envision and reform internal operations at the State Department to elevate and integrate climate policy in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. Earlier in my career, as a Foreign Service Officer, I held senior management positions; my overseas assignments included tours in China, Japan and Afghanistan. I then joined the U.S. Energy Department as the senior most official for Asian Affairs in DOE’s International bureau.