Kristen Gunness

Senior Policy Researcher

Washington Office

Education

B.A. in international relations, Tufts University; MA Certificate in Chinese Studies, Johns Hopkins SAIS/Nanjing; M.A. in security studies, Georgetown University

One Page Bio

Overview

Kristen Gunness is a senior policy researcher in the RAND Corporation's Washington Office. Her background includes military, security, and foreign policy issues in the Indo Pacific region with a focus on China. She has worked with a range of DoD and private sector clients throughout her career and advised senior leaders in Navy, OSD, PACOM, and the Intelligence Community. Gunness has been an adjunct policy analyst at RAND since 2012, where she has worked on numerous projects related to Chinese military developments and their impact on U.S. and DoD interests. Before joining RAND, Gunness served as the Director of the Navy Asia Pacific Advisory Group at the Pentagon, where she advised the Chief of Naval Operations on security and foreign policy trends in the Indo Pacific region with a focus on Chinese naval and grey zone capabilities. Prior to her position on the Navy staff, she was Senior Project Director on Chinese military and security affairs at CNA. Gunness holds a BA from Tufts University in International Relations, a certificate in Chinese Studies from the Johns Hopkins SAIS Nanjing Center, and an MA in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Research Focus

Honors & Awards

Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award

Languages

Chinese (Mandarin)

Publications

Report
The Limits of Restraint: The Military Implications of a Restrained U.S. Grand Strategy in the Asia-Pacific
RAND researchers propose possible warfighting scenarios in the Asia-Pacific region that could guide defense planning if the United States adopted a grand strategy of restraint. Researchers also describe how U.S. posture in the region would change.
Mar 31, 2022
Report
Deciphering Chinese Deterrence Signalling in the New Era: An Analytic Framework and Seven Case Studies
The authors examine how China's approach to deterrence signalling is evolving along with its expanding objectives, growing military capabilities, and the availability of new communication channels—and how regional countries should respond.
May 27, 2021
Report
People's Liberation Army Operational Concepts
In this report, authors assess China's military theory, strategy, and guiding principles, in addition to doctrinal or operational concepts, to help U.S. strategists and planners formulate responses to China's evolving military strategy and doctrine.
Sep 29, 2020
Report
The PLA and China's Rejuvenation: National Security and Military Strategies, Deterrence Concepts, and Combat Capabilities
This study describes China's national and security strategies and its approach to war and escalation control; summarizes its military capabilities developments; and reviews its concepts for deterrence in strategic and conventional domains.
Dec 6, 2016
Testimony
PLA Expeditionary Capabilities and Implications for United States Asia Policy
Testimony presented before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on January 21, 2016.
Jan 21, 2016
Report
Emerging Trends in China's Development of Unmanned Systems
RAND's exploratory analysis of China's development and use of unmanned systems focuses on maritime unmanned systems, the roles China sees for them, Chinese development of unmanned vehicles, and uses for such systems in the East and South China Seas.
Mar 12, 2015
Report
China's Incomplete Military Transformation: Assessing the Weaknesses of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)
The PLA is keenly aware of its many weaknesses and is vigorously striving to correct them. Although it is only natural to focus on the PLA's growing capabilities, understanding the PLA's weaknesses -- and its self-assessments -- is no less important.
Feb 13, 2015