Bonny Lin

Director, China Power Project and Senior Fellow, Asian Security
Bonny Lin

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.

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How China Could Blockade Taiwan

China has options other than invasion to try to force Taiwan’s unification, one of which is a blockade. This report explores the potential motivations and strategic calculus for a blockade and maps out possible scenarios of how China could approach blockade operations.

Digital Report by Bonny Lin, Brian Hart, Matthew P. Funaiole, Truly Tinsley, and Samantha Lu — August 22, 2024

ChinaPower

Outcomes of China’s Third Plenum: A Conversation with Scott Kennedy

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Scott Kennedy joins us to discuss the major themes from China's long-anticipated Third Plenum and what it signaled for China’s economic trajectory in the coming decade.

Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin and Scott Kennedy — August 1, 2024

CSIS ChinaPower

China’s Third Plenum: A Plan for Renewed Reform?

CSIS China experts – Freeman Chair Jude Blanchette, Trustee Chair Scott Kennedy, and China Power Project Director Bonny Lin - will break down the politics of China's Third Plenum, developments in economic policy, and the implications for Chinese foreign policy and relations with the rest of the world.

Event — July 22, 2024

ChinaPower

The Implications of the Putin-Kim Summit: A Conversation with Dr. Victor Cha

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Victor Cha joins us to discuss his major takeaways from the June 2024 Putin-Kim summit and the significance of North Korea and Russia’s new mutual defense clause for the international community.

Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin and Victor Cha — July 18, 2024

CSIS ChinaPower

The Importance of National Resilience: Implications for Taiwan

Please join CSIS experts Dr. Bonny Lin, Jude Blanchette, Dr. Seth Jones, and Dr. Daniel Byman on Wednesday, July 17, at 3:00 p.m. for a virtual conversation on the importance of national resilience, and its implications for the U.S. and Taiwan. 

Event — July 17, 2024