Bernice Xu is an Associate for Defense Tech & Innovation with the Defense & National Security Practice at The Asia Group (TAG). In this role, she supports clients focused on emerging and advanced technology seeking to enter or expand their presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Prior to joining TAG, Bernice served as a Policy Advisor for Southeast Asia in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense. There, she worked on advancing U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific by strengthening U.S. alliances and defense partnerships with the Philippines, Singapore, and Indonesia. From 2020 to 2023, Bernice was a Senior Program Associate at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, where she supported various programs including the Public Intellectuals Program, Track II dialogues, and the National Committee’s military-security initiatives.
Bernice’s previous foreign policy experience includes working as a research assistant at the National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Chinese Military, where she contributed to the center’s analysis on the People Liberation Army’s modernization and Chinese military diplomacy. She also worked at the Carnegie-China Center in Beijing and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Bernice will graduate with her Master of Arts in Asian Studies from the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in May 2025. Her graduate studies focus on Chinese security and politics, with an emphasis on implications for U.S. national security. She holds a B.A. in international affairs (summa cum laude) from The George Washington University, where she majored in international affairs with a concentration in conflict resolution and a minor in statistics. Bernice grew up in New York, San Diego, and Memphis, and enjoys cooking, playing tennis, and exploring new cities in her spare time. She is proficient in Mandarin Chinese.