Dr. Christopher Twomey

Professor in November 2004.†He served as Associate Chair for Research
in the department and as Director of the Center for Contemporary
Conflict from 2007-09. He previously spent two years as an Adjunct
Assistant Professor and Instructor in the Political Science Department
at Boston College (2003-04).†He received his Ph.D. in Political
Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned a
Master’s degree from the Graduate School of International Relations
and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
in 1993.†He received his B.A. from UCSD in Economics in 1990.
His research interests center on security studies, Chinese foreign
policy, modern nuclear affairs, strategic culture, statecraft, and
East Asian security in theory and practice.† His book entitled The
Military Lens: Doctrinal Differences and Deterrence Failure in
Sino-American Relations is forthcoming from Cornell University Press
in 2010.† It explains how differing military doctrines make diplomatic
signaling, interpretations of those signals, and assessments of the
balance of power more difficult.† It then tests this explanation
through examination of several deterrent attempts between China and
the United States in the early Cold War and shorter cases drawn from
the Middle East conflicts in the mid-Cold War.
His edited volume entitled Perspectives on Sino-American Strategic
Nuclear Issues (Palgrave Macmillan) was published in 2008, and he
co-edited Power and Prosperity: The Links between Economics and
Security in Asia-Pacific (Transaction/Rutgers University Press) in
1996.†† Among his recent articles are: “Chinese-U.S. Strategic
Affairs: Dangerous Dynamism,” Arms Control Today 39, no. 1
(January/February 2009); “Lacunae in the Study of Culture in
International Security,” Contemporary Security Policy 29, no. 2 (Aug
2008); “Explaining Chinese Foreign Policy toward North Korea:
Navigating between the Scylla and Charybdis of Proliferation and
Instability,” Journal of Contemporary China 17, no. 56 (August 2008).
Professor Twomey manages a track II diplomatic exchange on
Sino-American nuclear issues involving several PLA flag officers,
academics, and civilian policy makers.† This project is in its sixth
year.† He consults for the Office of Net Assessment on the future of
security competition in Asia and for the Office of the Secretary of
Defense on various contemporary issues relating to Asian security.†
Twomey has spent a year each as a consultant for the RAND Corporation
on strategic issues and as Policy Researcher for Asia at the
University of California’s Institute on Global Conflict and
Cooperation.† He has also held fellowships from or been affiliated
with Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs,
MIT’s Security Studies Program and Center for International Studies,
the National Security Education Program (Washington, DC), and the
Chinese Academy of Social Science in Beijing.† He has lived in China
several times, most recently in 1998-99, speaks and reads Chinese, and
has traveled widely in Asia.†

Dr. Christopher TwomeyProfessor in November 2004.†He served as Associate Chair for Researchin the department and as Director of the Center for ContemporaryConflict from 2007-09. He previously spent two years as an AdjunctAssistant Professor and Instructor in the Political Science Departmentat Boston College (2003-04).†He received his Ph.D. in PoliticalScience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He earned aMaster’s degree from the Graduate School of International Relationsand Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD)in 1993.†He received his B.A. from UCSD in Economics in 1990.His research interests center on security studies, Chinese foreignpolicy, modern nuclear affairs, strategic culture, statecraft, andEast Asian security in theory and practice.† His book entitled TheMilitary Lens: Doctrinal Differences and Deterrence Failure inSino-American Relations is forthcoming from Cornell University Pressin 2010.† It explains how differing military doctrines make diplomaticsignaling, interpretations of those signals, and assessments of thebalance of power more difficult.† It then tests this explanationthrough examination of several deterrent attempts between China andthe United States in the early Cold War and shorter cases drawn fromthe Middle East conflicts in the mid-Cold War.His edited volume entitled Perspectives on Sino-American StrategicNuclear Issues (Palgrave Macmillan) was published in 2008, and heco-edited Power and Prosperity: The Links between Economics andSecurity in Asia-Pacific (Transaction/Rutgers University Press) in1996.†† Among his recent articles are: “Chinese-U.S. StrategicAffairs: Dangerous Dynamism,” Arms Control Today 39, no. 1(January/February 2009); “Lacunae in the Study of Culture inInternational Security,” Contemporary Security Policy 29, no. 2 (Aug2008); “Explaining Chinese Foreign Policy toward North Korea:Navigating between the Scylla and Charybdis of Proliferation andInstability,” Journal of Contemporary China 17, no. 56 (August 2008).Professor Twomey manages a track II diplomatic exchange onSino-American nuclear issues involving several PLA flag officers,academics, and civilian policy makers.† This project is in its sixthyear.† He consults for the Office of Net Assessment on the future ofsecurity competition in Asia and for the Office of the Secretary ofDefense on various contemporary issues relating to Asian security.†Twomey has spent a year each as a consultant for the RAND Corporationon strategic issues and as Policy Researcher for Asia at theUniversity of California’s Institute on Global Conflict andCooperation.† He has also held fellowships from or been affiliatedwith Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs,MIT’s Security Studies Program and Center for International Studies,the National Security Education Program (Washington, DC), and theChinese Academy of Social Science in Beijing.† He has lived in Chinaseveral times, most recently in 1998-99, speaks and reads Chinese, andhas traveled widely in Asia.†