Christopher B. Johnstone is senior adviser and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining CSIS, Mr. Johnstone 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. He served twice on the National Security Council, as director for East Asia under President Biden and director for Japan and Oceanian affairs under President Obama (2014–2016). In the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Johnstone led offices with responsibility for South and Southeast Asia (2017–2021) and East Asia (2016–2017); he was director for Northeast Asia from 2010 to 2014, where he had principal responsibility for developing strategy for the U.S.-Japan alliance. Mr. Johnstone began his career as an intelligence officer in the Central Intelligence Agency, where he worked on national security issues in Northeast Asia and served in an overseas field station. Mr. Johnstone has a master's in public affairs from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs and a bachelor of arts from Swarthmore College. He speaks fluent Japanese.
In the News
Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida seeks summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
Christopher B. Johnstone in The Financial Times — February 13, 2024
Running short on Ukraine air defenses, U.S. looks to Japan
Tom Karako and Christopher B. Johnstone in The Washington Post — December 19, 2023
Asia’s Aging Soldiers Force US Allies to Widen Recruitment Drive
Christopher B. Johnstone in Bloomberg — November 13, 2023
Separate U.S. Alliances in East Asia Are Obsolete
Christopher B. Johnstone in Foreign Policy — September 11, 2023
Deeper Look: US Indo-Pacific Strategy and Japan
Christopher B. Johnstone in NHK WORLD - JAPAN — September 5, 2023
Ensuring US-Japan-South Korea Cooperation: Christopher Johnstone / Senior Adviser and Japan Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Christopher B. Johnstone in NHK WORLD - JAPAN — August 30, 2023
As Taiwan Marks Battle Anniversary, US Seeks Stronger Alliances Over China Tensions
Christopher B. Johnstone in Voice of America — August 23, 2023
Fukushima water release poses early test for Japan-South Korea unity
Christopher B. Johnstone in Reuters — August 17, 2023
All Christopher B. Johnstone Content
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The Future of U.S.-Japan Defense Industrial Cooperation
Event — March 20, 2024
Strategic Japan 2024: Japan and the Global South
Event — March 13, 2024
Strengthening U.S.-ROK-Japan Trilateral Cooperation
Event — February 12, 2024
A Vital Next Step for the U.S.-Japan Alliance: Command and Control Modernization
Commentary by Christopher B. Johnstone and Jim Schoff — February 1, 2024
2024 Global Forecast: The China Challenge
Digital Report by Victor Cha, Gregory C. Allen, Scott Kennedy, Seth G. Jones, Kari A. Bingen, and Heather Williams, Tom Karako, Bonny Lin, Jude Blanchette, Charles Edel, Christopher B. Johnstone, Nicholas Szechenyi, Lily McElwee, Daniel F. Runde, Craig Cohen, Alex Kisling — January 25, 2024
Indo-Pacific Forecast 2024
Event — January 16, 2024
2024 U.S.-Japan Security Seminar
Event — January 9, 2024
Scared Strait: Understanding the Economic and Financial Impacts of a Taiwan Crisis
Commentary by Jude Blanchette, Gerard DiPippo, and Christopher B. Johnstone — December 13, 2023
Supply Chain Resiliency and the Outlook for Economic Growth in the Indo-Pacific
Event — November 1, 2023
A Conversation with Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong
Event — October 13, 2023