John Lee, a leading expert on China's foreign relations, political economy, and high-tech industries (including semiconductors, EVs and AI) will bring his insights to the Asia Society community as TOY Senior Fellow at Asia Society Switzerland and as a Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis.

In a time when trade, technology, and global power dynamics are more interconnected and in flux than ever before, we are thrilled that Mr. Lee will bring his deep expertise on these issues to Asia Society, helping us to navigate the transformations and challenges facing the world.

The TOY Senior Fellowship is made possible through the generous support of Max and Monique Burger & the "Thinking of Yves" Family, Hong Kong. This long-term engagement allows us to explore key global challenges in depth through regular discussions, events, and expert insights. As TOY Senior Fellow, Mr. Lee will regularly visit Switzerland while also engaging in remote activities on behalf of Asia Society. He will provide analysis on a range of technology and political issues including semiconductors, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, national security matters, and the evolving role of technology in geopolitics.

During Mr. Lee's first visit he will join us for the Oxford Debate LIVE on April 7 in Zurich, offering a chance to engage with his expertise firsthand. Over the course of five visits this year, Mr. Lee will offer insights to our stakeholders, speak at public events, and engage with the media. Through the TOY Senior Fellowship, he will help Asia Society's community connect the dots in a rapidly changing world.

Upcoming Visits:

• April 7-8, 2025
• June 10-11, 2025
• September 3-5, 2025
• November 5-6, 2025
• November 25-26, 2025

For media inquiries, speaker engagements, or expert commentary, please reach out to Rebecca Farner at [email protected].

About John Lee

John Lee is the Director of East West Futures, a consultancy specializing in China's high-tech industries, political economy, military capabilities and international diplomacy. He holds Master's degrees from the Australian National University and King's College London and is a qualified Australian legal practitioner.

John was a Senior Analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin and previously served in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Department of Defence. Currently, he is a researcher at the Leiden Asia Centre and a Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, National University of Singapore. John co-leads the China Semiconductor Observatory project funded by the European Union, and is a member of the European research consortium Digital Power China.

His research focuses on China's influence on the semiconductor and automotive industries, telecommunications and the internet of things, and governance of cyberspace and the internet. He also works on defence sector matters, including military applications of artificial intelligence. John's work has been published by a range of academic and think tank publishers, and he has been published and quoted in major international media outlets, including The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, South China Morning Post and Le Monde Diplomatique.

John is a familiar face at Asia Society Switzerland, having contributed to events such as the Oxford Debate LIVE: Will Asia’s Rise Lead to a New World Order? and Executive Roundtable on The Global Tech Tug-of-War in April 2024. In 2022, he spoke at our flagship STATE OF ASIA conference, discussing the global race for technological supremacy and its impact on Europe and Switzerland.

About Asia Society Switzerland

Asia Society Switzerland is an independent Swiss non-profit organization dedicated to Asia. Our mission is to foster Asia Competence and prepare Switzerland for a deeper and more sustainable engagement with Asia.  We do this by providing strategic intelligence, education, and training on Asia, and by building and maintaining Asia-related communities and networks.

We are part of the global Asia Society network with 16 offices around the world, including 7 in Asia. Asia Society was founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller III, and our global CEO is Kyung-wha Kang, the former Foreign Minister of South Korea. Our global network gives us unparalleled access to international speakers and experts on a broad range of Asia issues.  

Asia Society Switzerland was founded in 2016 and is financed entirely out of Switzerland. We have a dedicated team of 7 people in Zurich, ensuring that our programs are relevant and tailored to a Swiss audience.  

Asia Society Switzerland is committed to connect business, policy, and society, helping Switzerland to under­stand and engage with Asia and to navigate our shared futures.

About the Center for China Analysis at Asia Society

Founded in 2022 as part of the Asia Society Policy Institute, the Center for China Analysis (CCA) aims to become a leading global think tank committed to decoding China's complexities with an "inside-out" approach by offering evidence-based, independent, and policy-relevant analyses with a balanced, holistic, and human-centered focus.

Given the Policy Institute’s global presence and diverse expertise, the Center is uniquely positioned to provide in-depth research and analysis on key China-related developments of central importance to the future.

Employing an array of full-time staff and research fellows, the Center’s work covers five major pillars of analysis on China:

• Domestic Politics; 
• Economy and Technology;
• Foreign Policy and National Security;
• Climate, Energy, and Environment; and
• Contemporary Chinese Society, Culture, Public Health, and Education. 

Presenting consistently independent and objective analysis with policy impact, the Center for China Analysis prioritizes Chinese language source material, emphasizes third-country analyses of China’s international engagement, and actively engages with counterpart institutions around the world. 

About 'Thinking of Yves (TOY)'

In memory of their son Yves (1988-2011) and to keep his memory alive, Max and Monique Burger created TOY "Thinking Of Yves". With the TOY cap projects, they encourage friends to dedicate one day each year to do things that matter in Yves’ name. As long-time residents of Hong Kong, they are excited to support the TOY Senior Fellowship at Asia Society and to contribute to fostering Asia Competence in Switzerland.