
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 Strategic Shift is Significant, but Implementation Hurdles Await
Christopher B. Johnstone in War on the Rocks — January 27, 2023
'Bloomberg Daybreak: Australia' Full Show (01/16/2023)
Christopher B. Johnstone in Bloomberg — January 16, 2023
Bloomberg Daybreak: Australia' Full Show
Christopher B. Johnstone in Bloomberg — January 16, 2023
New Japan-U.S. defense ties will make Kim Jong Un 'think twice'
Christopher B. Johnstone in Nikkei Asia — January 15, 2023
日米首脳会談、識者に聞く 兼原・ジョンストン両氏
Christopher B. Johnstone in Nikkei — January 14, 2023
岸田首相 あす日米首脳会談へ 日米同盟の強化示す考え
Christopher B. Johnstone in NHK — January 13, 2023
Biden to welcome Japan's Kishida and historic military reforms at White House
Christopher B. Johnstone in Reuters — January 13, 2023
U.S. and Japan’s new defense strategy sends stark warning to China
Christopher B. Johnstone in Los Angeles Times — January 13, 2023
All content by Christopher B. Johnstone
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Assessing the Future Trajectory of China-Japan Relations
Event by Jude Blanchette , Christopher B. Johnstone , Bonny Lin , and Rumi Aoyama — January 31, 2023

Japan's New National Defense Strategy: Implications for Korea
Podcast Episode by Victor Cha and Christopher B. Johnstone — January 20, 2023

A Readout of the U.S.-Japan Leaders' Meeting
Event by Christopher B. Johnstone , Kurt Campbell , and Koji Tomita — January 17, 2023

Japan Steps Up
Podcast Episode by Michael J. Green , Jude Blanchette , and Christopher B. Johnstone — January 17, 2023

Indo-Pacific Forecast 2023
Event by Victor Cha , Emily Benson , Jude Blanchette , Charles Edel , Matthew P. Goodman , Christopher B. Johnstone , Scott Kennedy , Ellen Kim , and Bonny Lin , Lily McElwee , Erin L. Murphy , Yuko Nakano , Gregory B. Poling , William Alan Reinsch , Nicholas Szechenyi , Raymond Vickery , Kurt Campbell , Ambassador Taeyong Cho , Ambassador Jose Manuel G. Romualdez — January 12, 2023

Leading Japan's Digital Transformation: A Discussion with Kono Taro
Event by John J. Hamre , Christopher B. Johnstone , and Kono Taro — January 11, 2023

The Capital Cable #62: Korea-Japan Relations in 2023
Event by Victor Cha , Christopher B. Johnstone , and Sue Mi Terry — January 11, 2023

Japan’s New Defense Strategy
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Christopher B. Johnstone — December 16, 2022

Japan’s New Defense Strategy
Transcript by H. Andrew Schwartz and Christopher B. Johnstone — December 16, 2022

Japan’s Transformational National Security Strategy
Commentary by Christopher B. Johnstone — December 8, 2022
