Chris Johnstone is a senior advisor at The Asia Group and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining CSIS, he served in government for 25 years in a variety of senior positions with a focus on U.S. policy toward Japan and the Indo-Pacific region. He served twice on the National Security Council, as director for East Asia under President Joe Biden and director for Japan and Oceanian affairs under President Barack Obama. In the Office of the Secretary of Defense, he led offices with responsibility for South and Southeast Asia and East Asia. He began his career as an intelligence officer in the Central Intelligence Agency.
Podcasts
Chris Johnstone on Japan’s Growing Security Leadership
- Japan
Recent Posts
Why China is the winner of the Hormuz crisis
July 2, 2026
Newsletter
For Asia, There Is No Return to the Status Quo Ante In recent years, a series of shocks has rattled ...
Han Lin on CNBC Live Discussing China’s Bet on the ‘Middle Corridor’ Trade Route Between Europe and China
July 2, 2026
Media Mentions
“China’s “Middle Corridor” trade route is a strategic move to manage geopolitical risk rather than a mere logistics solution,” said ...
George Chen in AP on China’s New Export Controls on Japanese Entities
June 29, 2026
Media Mentions
The measures function more as a “diplomatic message” as Beijing steps up its pressure on Tokyo, said George Chen, partner ...
Han Lin in The Wire China about Xiaohongshu’s IPO and Its Global Ambitions
June 28, 2026
Media Mentions
“Global success attracts global scrutiny. TikTok and Shein showed that regulatory and political risks can grow faster than revenues,” says ...