Bonny Lin is a senior fellow for Asian security and director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Previously, she was the acting associate director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE and a political scientist at the RAND Corporation, where she analyzed different aspects of China’s foreign and defense policy and U.S. competition with China, including China’s use of gray zone tactics against U.S. allies and partners. Her research advised senior leaders in the Department of Defense, including military leaders at U.S. Pacific Air Forces and U.S. Army Pacific. Dr. Lin also served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2015 to 2018, where she was director for Taiwan, country director for China, and senior adviser for China.
Dr. Lin has testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an adjunct at the RAND Corporation and Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA). Dr. Lin holds a PhD in political science from Yale University, a master’s degree in Asian studies with a focus on China from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard College.
Media Queries
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- Chief Communications Officer
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In the News
Bush-Era US Officials Discuss How China Has Changed Over Last 15 Years
Bonny Lin in Voice of America — May 27, 2023
Can China Thread the Needle on Ukraine?
Bonny Lin in Foreign Affairs — May 17, 2023
Taiwan's president warns 'democracy is under threat' in joint remarks with McCarthy
Bonny Lin in CBS News — April 6, 2023
China Draws Lessons From Russia’s Losses in Ukraine, and Its Gains
Bonny Lin in The New York Times — April 1, 2023
US fears a war-weary world may embrace China’s Ukraine peace bid
Bonny Lin in The Times of India — March 23, 2023
War crimes warrant for Putin could push Russia, China together
Bonny Lin in NBC News — March 20, 2023
‘Crisis point’: Foreign policy experts and investors are divided on China
Bonny Lin in CNBC — February 17, 2023
Spy balloon dustup sends US-China relations from bad to worse
Bonny Lin in The Hill — February 16, 2023
All Bonny Lin Content
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Unpacking Secretary Yellen’s Trip to Beijing: A Conversation with Meg Rithmire
Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin — July 20, 2023
China’s Quantum Technology Development: A Conversation with Edward Parker
Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin — July 6, 2023
Analyzing China’s Escalation after Taiwan President Tsai’s Transit through the United States
Brief by Bonny Lin , Brian Hart , Samantha Lu , Hannah Price , and Matthew Slade — June 29, 2023
Managing Crises between the U.S. and China: A Conversation with Xin Qiang and Dennis Wilder
Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin — June 21, 2023
The G7 Summit and U.S.-China Competition for Influence: A Conversation with Michael J. Green
Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin — June 6, 2023
China’s Approach to Artificial Intelligence: A Conversation with Gregory C. Allen
Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin and Gregory C. Allen — May 24, 2023
Hand-Off: The Evolution of U.S. Policy in Asia
Event by Stephen Hadley , David Sanger , Victor Cha , Christopher B. Johnstone , Bonny Lin , Dennis Wilder , and Nicholas Szechenyi — May 23, 2023
U.S.-China Competition and Indo-Pacific Security
Event by John J. Hamre , Victor Cha , Bonny Lin , Jaechun Kim , Dongchan Kim , Hung-Jen Wang , Chen-Yu Li , Yujen Kuo , and Nicholas Szechenyi — May 12, 2023
China’s Capabilities in Space: A Conversation with Kari Bingen
Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin and Kari A. Bingen — May 12, 2023
TikTok and U.S.-China Technology Competition: A Conversation with Caitlin Chin
Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin and Caitlin Chin — April 27, 2023