Who’s Afraid of China’s Belt and Road Initiative? Getting to the Heart of China’s Controversial Marshall Plan

He is a former Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director at the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University (NDU). In that capacity Dr. Yung provided insights and counsel for the Office of Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Intelligence Community, and the Combatant Commanders concerning Asian defense and strategic issues; Asia-Pacific political and economic strategies; Asian military capabilities and current operations; Asian engagement activities with the United States and other countries; and China’s political-military relations with other nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Dr. Yung has been the author, editor, and contributor to numerous books, articles and monographs on China’s naval and military power. Most recently he is author of “The PLA Navy Lobby and Its Influence Over China’s Maritime Sovereignty Policies” in Saunders and Scobell, eds., PLA Influence on China’s National Security Policymaking (Stanford University Press, September 2015), co-author of Not An Idea We Have to Shun: Chinese Overseas Basing Requirements in the Twenty First Century (NDU Press, Oct. 2014) and “Continuity and Change in Sino-US Military to Military Relations” in Blanchard and Shen, eds., Conflict and Cooperation in Sino-US Relations: Change and Continuity, Causes and Cures, (Routledge Press, Feb. 2015). Prior to his entering into government service, Dr. Yung was a Senior Research Analyst at the CNA Corporation. While at CNA, Dr. Yung led projects or was involved in analysis related to China, Northeast Asia security, the Chinese Navy, the Chinese Military, and U.S. interoperability with the militaries of the Far East. In addition to Dr. Yung’s China related work he has direct operations analysis experience with the U.S. Navy operating forces (Amphibious Group Two), a Marine Corps component staff (Marine Corps Forces Atlantic) and Pentagon staffs (the Navy Staff’s Assessment Division (N81) and Politico-Military Affairs Division (N52)).

Dr. Yung holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and International Economics from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at the Johns Hopkins University. He also holds an MA in East Asian and China Studies from the same institution. He received language certificates in Mandarin Chinese from Columbia University and the Beijing Foreign Language Teacher’s Institute.

General Gregson is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; the Pacific Council on International Policy; the International Institute for Strategic Studies; the U.S. Naval Institute; and Trustee of the Marine Corps University Foundation.

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