IRENE CHAN
Irene Chan is a Singapore-based policy researcher and program manager with over a decade of experience in research coordination, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement across China and Southeast Asia. She specializes in Chinese foreign policy, Southeast Asian geopolitics, and the regional implications of Beijing’s expanding influence.
Irene has worked with leading institutions including RSIS, Business China, and Carnegie China, where she led research initiatives, facilitated Track II dialogues, and produced policy-relevant analysis bridging academic research and strategic decision-making. Her work involves close collaboration with diplomats, scholars, and business leaders throughout the Indo-Pacific.
At the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Irene strengthens the organization’s regional engagement through research on China–Southeast Asia relations and the Belt and Road Initiative, while building partnerships with think tanks and institutions across the region.
Fluent in English and Mandarin, she combines analytical depth with extensive field experience and a commitment to advancing nuanced understanding among Canada, Southeast Asia, and China in an increasingly complex Indo-Pacific environment.