John Lee

Senior Fellow

john_lee

At A Glance:

John Lee is a senior fellow at 91 Institute.

Biography

John Lee is a senior fellow at 91 Institute. He is also a senior fellow (nonresident) at the United States Studies Centre and an adjunct professor at the University of Sydney.

From 2016 to 2018, he was senior national security adviser to Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. In this role, he served as the principal adviser on Asia and for economic, strategic, and political affairs in the Indo-Pacific region.

Dr. Lee was also appointed the foreign minister’s lead adviser on the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper, the first comprehensive foreign affairs blueprint for Australia since 2003 and written to guide Australia’s external engagement for the next ten years and beyond.

He has held adjunct professorships at the Australian National University and University of Sydney. He is one of the foremost experts on the Chinese political economy and on strategic and economic affairs pertaining to the Indo-Pacific.

Dr. Lee’s articles have been published in leading policy and academic journals in the United States, Asia, and Australia.

He received his master’s and doctorate in international relations from the University of Oxford and his bachelor of laws and arts degrees (first class, philosophy) from the University of New South Wales.

He is based in Sydney, Australia.

Events
10
September 2024
Past Event
How to Counter China’s Global South Strategy in the Indo-Pacific
Featured Speakers:
Thomas J. Duesterberg
John Lee
Aparna Pande
Patrick M. Cronin
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation displays a medium-range composite wing unmanned aerial vehicle at the Nineteenth ASEAN Expo in Nanning, China, on September 18, 2022. (CFOTO/ Future Publishing via Getty Images)
10
September 2024
Past Event
How to Counter China’s Global South Strategy in the Indo-Pacific
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation displays a medium-range composite wing unmanned aerial vehicle at the Nineteenth ASEAN Expo in Nanning, China, on September 18, 2022. (CFOTO/ Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Thomas J. Duesterberg
John Lee
Aparna Pande
Patrick M. Cronin
21
June 2024
Past Event
What China’s Middle East Policy Means for the US and Israel
Featured Speakers:
John Lee
Tuvia Gering
Moderator:
Zineb Riboua
Wang Yi speaks at a press conference on May 30, 2024, in Beijing, China. (Photo by Wang Zhao-Pool/Getty Images)
21
June 2024
Past Event
What China’s Middle East Policy Means for the US and Israel

To discuss China’s ambitions in the Middle East, Beijing’s position in the Israel-Hamas conflict, and what this all means for American interests in the region, 91’s Zineb Riboua hosts a discussion with Senior Fellow John Lee and Atlantic Council Nonresident Fellow Tuvia Gering.

Wang Yi speaks at a press conference on May 30, 2024, in Beijing, China. (Photo by Wang Zhao-Pool/Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
John Lee
Tuvia Gering
Moderator:
Zineb Riboua
17
June 2024
Past Event
Deterring China through Nonmilitary Costs
Featured Speakers:
John Lee
Thomas J. Duesterberg
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Aaron MacLean
Members of the Peoples Liberation Army flag honor guard march in Tiananmen Square on March 11, 2024, in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
17
June 2024
Past Event
Deterring China through Nonmilitary Costs

Join 91 Senior Fellows Aaron MacLean, Tom Duesterberg, Bryan Clark, and John Lee as they discuss Dr. Lee’s latest report, cowritten with Lavina Lee.

Members of the Peoples Liberation Army flag honor guard march in Tiananmen Square on March 11, 2024, in Beijing, China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
John Lee
Thomas J. Duesterberg
Bryan Clark
Moderator:
Aaron MacLean
11
December 2023
Past Event
Beyond the SCIF: Countering Chinese Influence Operations on American Soil
Featured Speakers:
John P. Walters
Miles Yu
John Lee
Craig Singleton
Moderator:
Rep. Mike Waltz
(Getty Images)
11
December 2023
Past Event
Beyond the SCIF: Countering Chinese Influence Operations on American Soil

Representative Mike Waltz will moderate a panel on China’s influence operations in the United States.

(Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
John P. Walters
Miles Yu
John Lee
Craig Singleton
Moderator:
Rep. Mike Waltz
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, United States President Joe Biden, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hold a press conference after a trilateral meeting during the AUKUS summit on March 13, 2023, in San Diego, California. (Leon Neal via Getty Images)
Caption
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, United States President Joe Biden, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hold a press conference after a trilateral meeting during the AUKUS summit on March 13, 2023, in San Diego, California. (Leon Neal via Getty Images)
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john_lee
Senior Fellow
Commentary
4 Min Read