WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation announced Monday that Jeff Smith, formerly a senior research fellow for South Asia, is the new director of Heritage’s Asian Studies Center. 

As director of the center, Smith will lead The Heritage Foundation’s effort to counter the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party—America’s defining national security challenge of the 21st century. Smith will work to position Heritage as a global leader in the battle against Beijing’s malign influence and lead the center in helping unite the conservative movement behind polices that cripple the CCP’s influence, thwart their ambitions to surpass the U.S. as a world power, expose its role in the COVID-19 pandemic, and hold China accountable for its gross human rights violations. 

He will also oversee research and policy work for the entire Indo-Pacific region, including the U.S.-India relationship, the response to North Korea, and the special relationships with South Korea and Japan. 

James Carafano, vice president of national security and foreign policy, released a statement on the announcement:  

In recent years, Jeff established himself as one of the most influential voices on strengthening the U.S.-Indian partnership to counter China, first at the American Foreign Policy Council, and now at Heritage. He will be a major asset to ensuring America remains free, safe, and prosperous in the face of the existential threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party. He is a clear-eyed scholar and understands what this moment in our history requires to ensure the U.S. is able to protect our interests—both at home and through the Indo-Pacific. The conservative movement will be well-served by his leadership of the Asian Studies Center.

Smith is the editor of “Asia’s Quest for Balance: China’s Rise and Balancing in the Indo-Pacific” (2018), and author of “Cold Peace: China-India Rivalry in the 21st Century” (2014). He has contributed to multiple books on Asian security issues, testified as an expert witness before multiple congressional committees, served in an advisory role for several presidential campaigns, and regularly briefs officials in the executive and legislative branches on matters of Asian security. 

His writing on Asian security issues has appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, the Harvard International Review, Jane’s Intelligence Review, The National Interest, and The Diplomat, among others. In recent years, his expert commentary has been featured by The Economist, The New York Times, FOX News, The Washington Times, Reuters, and the BBC, among others. 

Smith formerly served as the director of Asian security programs at the American Foreign Policy Council. 

You can follow Jeff here @Cold_Peace_.