Christopher B. Johnstone Joins CSIS as Japan Chair

A career civil servant, Johnstone served at the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy as principal director for East Asia from 2016 to 2017 and then as principal director for South and Southeast Asia until 2021. In these capacities, he was responsible for the DOD's strategy for engagement with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan and played a key role in shaping DOD strategy toward North Korea and China. Johnstone also served as acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia from January to August 2017.

Previously, he was director for Japan and Oceanian affairs on the NSC from 2014 to 2016. In this role, he supported the president and senior NSC leaders in the development and execution of Asia policy with a focus on Japan and Australia. From 2010 to 2014, Johnstone was Northeast Asia director in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy, where he led a team of civilians and military officers that advised the secretary of defense on security policy toward Japan and the Korean Peninsula. Johnstone began his government career at the Central Intelligence Agency. He was a team chief in the Office of Asia Pacific Analysis from 2009 to 2010 and served as the senior political analyst at an East Asian field station from 2005 to 2008.

“It is an honor and a privilege to join CSIS as the Japan Chair,” said Johnstone. “I look forward to building on the extraordinary tradition of the program, which has long been at the forefront of policy-relevant research and analysis on Japan and U.S.-Japan relations.”