معرفی
Kristen Gunness serves as Associate Research Department Director of the Defense and Political Sciences Department, Senior Policy Researcher, and Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. With over two decades of expertise in Chinese military, security, and foreign policy, she advises U.S. defense and intelligence leaders on Indo-Pacific strategy. Her research focuses on China's military modernization, U.S.-China competition, and deterrence strategies.
Gunness holds a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University, a certificate in Chinese Studies from Johns Hopkins SAIS Nanjing Center, and an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. She previously directed the Navy Asia Pacific Advisory Group at the Pentagon, advising on Chinese security trends in the Indo-Pacific.
Her research interests emphasize deterrence, escalation management, and naval warfare dynamics. Key themes in her work include Chinese energy security chokepoints (e.g., Malacca Strait), U.S. retrenchment impacts on allies, and Taiwan Strait contingencies. She collaborates closely with U.S. IndoPACOM, Navy, and intelligence agencies to shape defense policy.
Gunness’ publications analyze geopolitical competition, military doctrine evolution, and conflict scenarios. Her recent work explores U.S. military access strategies in the Indo-Pacific and escalation risks during U.S.-China competition. She frequently engages in policy debates on balancing deterrence and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
