Dr. Roger Cliff
Political Scientist
Roger Cliff is a political scientist at RAND specializing in Chinese defense policy and capabilities and U.S. defense strategy. Recent research projects at RAND include China’s future military capabilities, Chinese anti-access strategies, China’s aerospace industry, China’s government-sponsored science and technology programs, and future U.S. military capability requirements.
Dr. Cliff joined RAND in 1997 but from 1999 to 2001 was Assistant for Strategy Development in the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy. Dr. Cliff received his PhD in International Relations from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
He holds an MA in Chinese Studies from the University of California, San Diego, and a BS in Physics from Harvey Mudd College. Prior to his graduate study, Dr. Cliff worked as a defense systems analyst for VERAC, Inc., of San Diego, CA. He is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has spent a total of over four years in China and Taiwan for language study and research.
Expertise:
U.S. defense policy and strategy in the Asia Pacific; U.S. defense relations with the Philippines; the military potential of China's commercial technology; Chinese arms transfers; technological progress in China; Chinese military technology
Background:
From 1999 to 2001 Dr. Cliff worked in the office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy as Assistant for Strategy Development. While there, he led a study of U.S. strategy and force structure in the Asia-Pacific region, oversaw the DoD's analysis of the future security environment, led an assessment of Philippine defense needs conducted cooperatively with the Philippine Department of National Defense, performed an analysis of military competition between the United States, Russia, and China, and supported the 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review.