Roy D. Kamphausen

Roy D. Kamphausen is Vice President for Political and Security Affairs and Director of NBR's D.C. Office.

As Vice President for Political and Security Affairs, at The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR) - a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution whose mission is to inform and strengthen Asia-Pacific policy - Mr. Kamphausen manages NBR research programs on political and security issues in Asia. As Office Director, he manages the operations and outreach of NBR's office in Washington, D.C.

Prior to joining NBR, Mr. Kamphausen served as a U.S. Army officer-a career that culminated in an assignment in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) as Country Director for China-Taiwan-Mongolia Affairs. Prior postings included assignments to The Joint Staff as an intelligence analyst and later as China Branch Chief in the Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy (J5). A fluent Chinese (Mandarin) linguist and Army China Foreign Area Officer (FAO), he served two tours at the Defense Attaché Office of the U.S. Embassy in the People's Republic of China.

His areas of professional expertise include China's Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), U.S.-China defense relations, U.S. defense and security policy toward Asia, and East Asian security issues. His recent research has included a focus on PLA modernization, Taiwan defense and security issues, changing U.S. defense policy and posture in Asia, and the implications of China as a "responsible stakeholder" in East Asian security. He co-authored the chapter "Military Modernization in Taiwan" in Strategic Asia 2005-06: Military Modernization in an Era of Uncertainty, with Michael Swaine; wrote the chapter "PLA Power Projection: Current Realities and Emerging Trends" in Assessing the Threat: The Chinese Military and Taiwan's Security (2007), with Justin Liang; and edited the volume Right-Sizing the People's Liberation Army: Exploring the Contours of China's Military (2007), with Andrew Scobell.

Roy received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wheaton College and holds a Master's in International Affairs degree from Columbia University in New York. He studied Chinese at the Defense Language Institute and Beijing’s Capital Normal University. He is a member of the National Committee on US-China Relations and The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). He is married to Arminda (née Armitage) Kamphausen and together they have three children-Abigail, Hudson, and Delaney.

Contact: Washington, D.C. Office

Home | Contact NBR | Feedback | Privacy Policy | Apply to NBR