RAND Names Distinguished Tang Chair in China Research

Jude Blanchette

A $5 million gift from longtime RAND supporter Michael Tang, a member of the RAND Global and Emerging Risks Advisory Board, helped launch the RAND China Research Center and support center leadership, including a distinguished chair position. Jude Blanchette, a leading expert on China's political landscape, has been named the inaugural Center director and Distinguished Tang Chair in China Research at RAND.

“Jude's vision and deep expertise in the inner workings of China's politics is exactly what we need to help grow the new China Research Center and will go a long way in helping to improve U.S. and allied policymakers' understanding of China,” said RAND President and CEO Jason Matheny. “As competition with China continues to intensify, the need for comprehensive, objective analysis becomes increasingly important and I look forward to working with Jude to help raise the bar on China-related research.”

Most recently, Blanchette held the prestigious Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) where he became a key source of insight on China's evolving political system. Prior to CSIS he served as the engagement director at the Conference Board's China Center for Economics and Business in Beijing and earlier in his career he was the assistant director of the 21st Century China Center at the University of California, San Diego.

The new RAND China Research Center, which is housed within RAND's Global and Emerging Risks division, will expand the scope of RAND's existing work on China.

Previous gifts to RAND from the Tang family include a gift from the Cyrus and Michael Tang Foundation to establish the Tang Chair in China Policy Studies and a gift from the Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation to launch the Tang Institute for U.S.–China Relations.

December 26, 2024