2025/10/31
Invitation to NPI Public Webinar: "Multilateral Cooperation to Counter China's Hybrid Warfare for the Unification of Taiwan"
Top row from left: ADM(Ret.) Takashi Saito, LTG(Ret.) Goro Matsumura, Mr. Takashi Kawashima, bottom row from left: Dr. Fitriani, Mr. Christopher Johnstone, Mr. Chihhao Yu
In recent years, there has been growing attention not only to conventional military warfare but also to hybrid warfare, which unfolds across various domains including politics, economics, society, and culture. Particularly as tensions surrounding Taiwan continue to intensify, the importance of countering China's hybrid warfare aimed at forcibly unifying Taiwan has become increasingly evident.
In this webinar, experts on hybrid warfare from Australia, Taiwan, and the United States will join us to provide an overview of the current state of hybrid warfare. They will also discuss prospects for advancing multilateral cooperation to counter China's hybrid strategies targeting the forced unification of Taiwan.
1. Date and Time
Friday, 14 November 2025
22:30-24:00 (Australian Eastern Daylight Time)
20:30-22:00 (Japan Standard Time)
19:30-21:00 (Taiwan Standard Time)
06:30-08:00 (US Eastern Standard Time)
2. Speakers
Opening Remarks:
Keynote Lecture: "Hybrid Warfare by China for the Forced Unification of Taiwan"
Panel Discussion: "Multilateral Cooperation to Counter China's Hybrid Warfare for the Unification of Taiwan"
3. Format
The webinar will be held on ZOOM (free registration)
4. Language
Japanese/English (simultaneously translated)
5. Registration
Register by Thursday 13 November 2025:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SYQt9vwMQlW-AmNaQMCqBg#/registration
6. Contact
Nakasone Peace Institute
E-mail: npi_pr@iips.org
■Speakers' Profiles
ADM(Ret.) Takashi Saito, Former Chief of Joint Staff, JSDF
ADM(Ret.) Saito graduated from National Defense Academy and the US Naval War College. Commissioned as a Submariner, he served in various command assignments in maritime operations, including as Commander of JS HAMASHIO and JS SETOSHIO, before becoming the 27th Chief of Maritime Staff in 2005. His last assignment was as the 2nd Chief of Joint Staff before retiring from the service in 2009.
He currently serves as Chairperson of Maritime Security Study Group of NPI.
LTG(Ret.) Goro Matsumura, Former Commanding General, Northeastern Army, JGSDF
LTG(Ret.) Matsumura graduated from Tokyo University with a degree in Engineering before joining Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF). He commanded the 3rd Contingent of Iraq Reconstruction Support Group before serving as Commanding General, 10th Division, JGSDF; Vice Chief of Joint Staff; and Commanding General of Northeastern Army, JGSDF before retiring from JGSDF in 2016.
He is currently Vice Chairperson of Maritime Security Study Group of NPI.
Mr. Takashi Kawashima, Research Fellow, National Institute of Defense Studies
Mr. Kawashima graduated from the Department of International Relations at the National Defense Academy of Japan and completed the Law School of Sophia University. He joined Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, where he served aboard multiple escort vessels. He later worked as a Research Fellow at the Japan Peacekeeping Training and Research Center of the Joint Staff College, Ministry of Defense. His academic and research career includes serving as a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Human Rights Centre, University of New South Wales; Associate Professor at the National Defense Academy of Japan; and Senior Research Fellow at Nakasone Peace Institute. He currently holds the position of Research Fellow at the National Institute for Defense Studies.
Dr. Fitriani, Senior Analyst, Australian Strategic Policy Institute
Dr. Fitriani is a Senior Analyst with ASPI's Cyber, Technology and Security Program. Her research focuses on hybrid threats in the Indo-Pacific, as well as foreign policy and non-traditional security issues.
She is a political scientist by training, specialising in International Relations, defence and security in Southeast Asia. With her expertise in cybersecurity and women, peace and security, she has contributed to research project with UN Women, Oxfam, Peace Research Institute Oslo, Google and ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation. She served as a roster expert of cyber diplomacy for the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and co-chaired the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Study Group on Women, Peace and Security.
She is a consultant for the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and part of Pacific Forum Young Leaders' program. Fitriani's past work affiliations include S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Dortmund University and University of Indonesia.
Fitriani holds a PhD in Security and Defence Studies from Cranfield University, United Kingdom.Mr. Christopher B. Johnstone, Partner & Chair of the Defense & National Security Practice, The Asia Group
Christopher B. Johnstone is Partner and Chair of the Defense & National Security Practice at The Asia Group, where he brings unparalleled expertise across Indo-Pacific markets including Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Previously, Chris served as a Senior Advisor at TAG and concurrently as Senior Advisor and Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). At CSIS, Chris led and expanded the Center's role in shaping the U.S.-Japan alliance agenda, including on economic security, defense industrial cooperation, and multilateral frameworks.
Chris served in government for 25 years in a variety of senior positions with a focus on U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific region. He served twice on the National Security Council, as Director for East Asia under President Biden (2021-2022) and Director for Japan and Oceanian Affairs under President Obama (2014-2016). In the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Chris led offices with responsibility for South and Southeast Asia (2017-2021) and East Asia (2016-2017). Prior to those roles, he served as Director for Northeast Asia (2010-2014), where he had principal responsibility for developing strategy for the U.S.-Japan and U.S.-South Korea alliances.
Chris began his career as an intelligence officer in the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served as the senior political analyst at an East Asian field station, then as a team chief in the Office of Asia Pacific Analysis. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C., and the recipient of the Ryozo Kato Award for Service to the U.S.-Japan Alliance.
Chris holds a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs and a Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College. He attended Stanford University's Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama, Japan. He speaks and reads Japanese.
Mr. Chihhao Yu, Co-director of Taiwan Information Environment Research Center (IORG)
Mr. Chihhao Yu is Co-director of Taiwan Information Environment Research Center (IORG), a non-government organization based in Taiwan specializing in data-driven, AI-assisted monitoring of authoritarian influence and information manipulation in the Mandarin-language information environment. He is also an engineer, designer, and a civic hacker in Taiwan's g0v (pronounced "gov-zero") community and Asia Pacific's Facing the Ocean civic tech network.
