Alexander Neill has been a Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia Pacific security at IISS-Asia based in Singapore since 2013. He is responsible for developing the Shangri-La Dialogue agenda and research projects focusing on Asia Pacific security issues, particularly on China and its relationships in the region. He works closely with governments and research bodies in the Asia Pacific region.
Neill previously worked as an analyst in the British government, focusing on Asia Pacific security issues, for more than seven years, of which three years were on secondment to the United States Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. Starting in 2005, he served as Head of the Asia Security Programme and Senior Research Fellow for Asia Studies at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) in London. During his time at RUSI, he developed a program of research focusing on British policy concerns towards Asia’s security and built a network of expertise in the U.K. and Asia. In late 2012, he helped to establish RUSI’s branch office in Tokyo. He has coordinated a number of track-two projects in Asia, including high-level dialogues in Beijing, Pyongyang, Taipei, and Tokyo.
A graduate of London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), he is a Chinese linguist, and has published on Chinese security issues, but also has much wider interests and expertise in Asian security, including counter-terrorism issues, deterrence strategy, and cyber security.
