As Senior Research Fellow for China and National Security in the Heritage’s Asian Studies Center, Yates leads the effort to define, amplify, and execute a comprehensive strategy to contain the malign influences of the Chinese Communist Party, strengthen and rebalance alliances, and put American families, jobs, and sovereignty first.

Yates comes to Heritage from the America First Policy Institute, where he launched the China Policy Initiative. He previously served as President of Radio Free Asia and Professor in the Practice of International Business and Politics at Boise State University. Before opening D.C. International Advisory in 2006, Yates served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney for National Security Affairs from 2001 through 2005. Yates served as chairman of the Idaho Republican Party from August 2014 to April 2017 and as co-chair of the 2016 Republican Platform Subcommittee on National Security.

From 1996-2001, Yates was a senior policy analyst at Heritage and received the prestigious W. Glenn and Rita Ricardo Campbell Award. The honor goes to the staff member determined to have made “an outstanding contribution to the analysis and promotion of the free society.”

He received a master’s degree in China Studies from the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.

Miles Pollard is an Economic Policy Analyst in the Center for Data Analysis at The Heritage Foundation.

Pollard has published work on a range of policy areas including budget, health, and space policy. In addition to his economic analysis, he has also written on how climate, energy, and environmental policies intersect with cyber policy and national security concerns. His work has been cited or published in media outlets including The Epoch Times, the Washington Times, and RealClearPolicy.

Pollard earned his Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University, with concentrations in Economic Policy and National Security. During his time at Pepperdine, he also served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Pepperdine Policy Review. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in both Economics and International Studies from the University of West Florida.

Miles Pollard is an Economic Policy Analyst in the Center for Data Analysis at The Heritage Foundation.

Pollard has published work on a range of policy areas including budget, health, and space policy. In addition to his economic analysis, he has also written on how climate, energy, and environmental policies intersect with cyber policy and national security concerns. His work has been cited or published in media outlets including The Epoch Times, the Washington Times, and RealClearPolicy.

Pollard earned his Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University, with concentrations in Economic Policy and National Security. During his time at Pepperdine, he also served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Pepperdine Policy Review. He earned his bachelor’s degrees in both Economics and International Studies from the University of West Florida.

Steven Okun, Founder and CEO of APAC Advisors and Senior Advisor to McLarty Associates, is a leader on corporate public affairs, ESG, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. A 21-year resident of Singapore, he spent the first twelve years of his career in Washington, DC, including in the Administration of President Bill Clinton as Deputy General Counsel at the US Department of Transportation. As KKR’s first Director of Asia Public Affairs from 2011-2017, he was one of the first people in the region working on ESG in private capital. From 2003-2010, he created and led Public Affair for UPS Asia. An in-demand speaker in the corporate and the financial services sector, Steve also appears frequently across global media, provides the weekly International News Review for MONEY FM (Singapore) and contributes commentary to Nikkei Asia, The Straits Times, The Business Times, Eco-Business and Asia Times.