Linda Jakobson

Linda Jakobson is an expert on China having lived in the country for 22 years and been a student of Chinese politics and China’s foreign and security policy for the past three decades.

Extensively published, she is a sought-after keynote speaker by academics, corporates and government. She delivers invaluable insights into Chinese and East Asian societies, China’s foreign and security policy, the Taiwan Straits and China’s energy security.

Linda Jakobson is the founding director of China Matters, an Australian not-for-profit public policy initiative that works to stimulate a more nuanced debate in Australia about China and advance sound China policy. Linda is also a Visiting Professor at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. From 2011 to 2013 she served as the East Asia Program Director at the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

Linda’s China-related career includes posts as a teacher (at the Shandong Institute of Economics in China), a lecturer (at Hong Kong City University), a foreign correspondent (in Beijing), and senior researcher and program director (at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), and the Lowy Institute for International Policy.

She is the internationally recognised author, co-author or co-editor of six books about Chinese and East Asian politics and society as well as the author of over 100 other publications about Chinese politics and society, China’s foreign and security policy, the Taiwan Straits, China’s energy security, and China’s Arctic aspirations. Two of her books and one report have received awards.

Before moving to Sydney in 2011 Linda lived and worked in China for 22 years. Her last position in Beijing was Director of the China and Global Security Programme and Senior Researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) 2009-2011. A Mandarin speaker, Linda Jakobson was a Fellow at the Kennedy School at Harvard University in 1990.

Her publications include China’s Unpredictable Maritime Security Actors (Lowy Institute, December 2014); “The PLA and Maritime Security Actors”, in Phillip C. Saunders and Andrew Scobell (eds.), PLA Influence on China’s National Security Policymaking (Stanford University Press, 2015); “Australia’s relations with China in Turbulence” (The Asan Forum February 2014); China’s Arctic Aspirations (SIPRI Policy Paper 2012 with Jingchao Peng); Australia-China ties: In search of political trust (Lowy Institute Policy Brief 2011); and New Foreign Policy Actors in China (SIPRI Policy Paper 2010 with Dean Knox).

Linda Jakobson’s research focuses on Australia-China ties, US-China ties, China’s foreign and security policy, and China’s Arctic policies.

She and her husband, Chris Lanzit, also a Mandarin speaker, live in Pyrmont, New South Wales.

Linda Jakobson speaks on:

• China’ rise and what it means for Australia
• Will China stay on track? (social, political and economic challenges of China)
• China and the US: how will they manage their ties?
• Australia – China relations
• East Asia – will peace be maintained?
• China’s ambitions – a threat to the region?
• China’s Arctic aspirations