Ryan Featherston

Associate Fellow, Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics
Ryan Featherston

Ryan Featherston is an associate fellow with the Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining CSIS, he was a research analyst at Rhodium Group, a private research firm, where he researched China’s macroeconomy, industrial subsidies, and green tech trade. Featherston received an MA in China studies with an emphasis in economics and management from the Yenching Academy at Peking University. He holds a BA in economics and Chinese language from Arizona State University.

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The Electric Vehicle Playbook for Emerging Markets

Emerging markets are becoming EV leaders with sales rising rapidly in the past two years. Governments are seeking to shape the future of the auto industry as they balance their EV adoption goals, industrial strategies, and reliance on China.

Digital Report by Ilaria Mazzocco and Ryan Featherston — October 22, 2025

London Calling: Is the U.S.-China Ceasefire Holding?

Ryan Featherston examines the current state of the U.S.-China economic ceasefire. The tentative consensus the U.S. and China reached in Geneva on May 12 began to fray almost immediately after it was reached. Now, the deal in London appears to have brought Washington and Beijing back towards that equilibrium, though fundamental issues in the economic relationship remain unresolved.

Blog Post by Ryan Featherston — July 1, 2025

Bilateral Trade Balances: Ignore Them

Scott Kennedy and Ryan Featherston discuss recent U.S. tariffs and how the problem with the Trump administration’s approach is not which formula they use, but their general allergy to bilateral trade deficits in the first place. 

Blog Post by Scott Kennedy and Ryan Featherston — April 15, 2025

Audio Briefs

China and the Impact of “Liberation Day” Tariffs

An audio version of “China and the Impact of 'Liberation Day' Tariffs,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS's Scott Kennedy, Ilaria Mazzocco, and Ryan Featherston. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs.

Podcast Episode by Scott Kennedy, Ilaria Mazzocco, and Ryan Featherston — April 4, 2025

Audio Briefs

China and the Impact of “Liberation Day” Tariffs

This article unpacks the tariff actions taken against China, how China is responding, anticipated effects on China’s economy, and signposts for future action.

Critical Questions by Scott Kennedy, Ilaria Mazzocco, and Ryan Featherston — April 4, 2025

Is Your Refrigerator Running? China’s Trade-In Programs and Plans to Boost Consumption

Ryan Featherston explains how China’s recent trade-in programs demonstrate the Chinese government’s thinking about the need for increased consumption. However, the “Two News” and their focus on both consumers and businesses reveal a mindset that has more continuity with supply-side policy than might appear on the surface. 

Blog Post by Ryan Featherston — March 27, 2025

One Moment, Two Speeches

Ryan Featherston and Scott Kennedy highlight surprising similarities and major differences between President Trump's recent address to Congress and the Government Work Report delivered by Premier Li Qiang at China's annual Two Sessions.

Blog Post by Ryan Featherston and Scott Kennedy — March 12, 2025