China Development Finance

Lea Thome

Program Manager

lthome@aiddata.org

Download CV

Lea Thome is a Program Manager with AidData's Chinese Development Finance Program. She is an international security scholar and China specialist, with a special focus on infrastructure investments, military modernization, and civil-military fusion. She holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations with a minor in Chinese language and culture from the University of Rochester and a master's degree in Global Affairs from Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University. Before joining AidData, she was the Schwarzman Fellow at the Wilson Center's Kissinger Institute on China and the United States and a Visiting Fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

M.A., Global Affairs, The Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University

B.A., International Relations, University of Rochester

Pacific Forum A New Agenda for Trilateral Cooperation: Strengthening US-Japan-ROK Shipbuilding Capacity
Pacific Forum

A New Agenda for Trilateral Cooperation: Strengthening US-Japan-ROK Shipbuilding Capacity

2025-09-04

The Diplomat Reaching for the Stars: China’s Growing Space Diplomacy
The Diplomat

Reaching for the Stars: China’s Growing Space Diplomacy

2025-08-30

Wilson Center Breaking China’s Grip: US-European Consortium Secures Strategic Global Ports in Panama and Beyond
Wilson Center

Breaking China’s Grip: US-European Consortium Secures Strategic Global Ports in Panama and Beyond

2025-03-10

The Diplomat China’s Navy Steps up Its Peace Ark Diplomacy
The Diplomat

China’s Navy Steps up Its Peace Ark Diplomacy

2025-02-11

South China Morning Post EV tariffs and Ukraine war weigh heavily on Germany-China relations
South China Morning Post

EV tariffs and Ukraine war weigh heavily on Germany-China relations

2024-11-24