Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Anka Lee
The Killing of “El Mencho”: Implications for the Cartels and Mexico’s Security
Posted date/time:February 24, 2026 The killing of "El Mencho" marks a major shift in Mexico’s security landscape, signaling a peak in state tactical capacity while raising critical questions about whether the cartel will maintain its dominance or fracture under new leadership.
Putin’s Endless War
Posted date/time:February 24, 2026 What Vladimir Putin anticipated would be a swift victory in Ukraine has instead become a protracted, costly conflict, isolating Russia and cementing its role as a global destabilizer. Four long years ago, Vladimir Putin’s shock troops hurriedly packed their gear for what they expected would be an easy incursion into Ukraine and a friendly reception by many of its citizens that would end with a quick overthrow of Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Middle Power Play: Why Canada and Britain are Hedging on China
Posted date/time:February 18, 2026 As middle powers like Canada and Britain pivot to Beijing, they face a high-stakes balance between strategic leverage and economic risk, writes Anka Lee. Since early 2026, China has been warming ties with traditional American allies, including Canada and Britain. Prime Ministers Carney and Starmer became the first leaders from their countries to visit China in nearly a decade, and leaders from other nations have also followed suit in the last few months.
Statement from Wilson Center President and CEO Natasha Jacome on the Passing of the Honorable Lee Hamilton
Lee Hamilton was a towering figure in public service and the most consequential leader in the history of the Wilson Center. During his tenure as president of the Center from 1999 to 2010, Lee guided it through a pivotal moment and left an enduring legacy that continues to shape who we are and how we serve the nation. Lee transformed the Wilson Center, instituting a focus on policy relevance that best meets our mission to bridge scholarship and policy and continues to this day.
WILSON CENTER ANNOUNCES SPRING APPLICATIONS FOR CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
WASHINGTON - The Wilson Center today announced applications are open for the Spring 2026 session of the Wilson Center Congressional Fellowship Program, a six-week, nonpartisan program that equips Congressional staff with the policy knowledge and practical tools to navigate today’s evolving foreign policy landscape.
Anka Lee
Expert Bio Anka Lee is a Distinguished Fellow at the Wilson Center. He is a Partner at Scalare Advisors, a strategic consulting firm. He is a national security expert who has served in senior leadership roles in government. Most recently, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia at the Pentagon, where he advanced bilateral defense relations with major allies and partners in the region and pursued collective action to meet growing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
Dispatch from Taipei: Looking to the Grassroots in Uncertain Times
Posted date/time:January 29, 2026 Following a recent visit to Taiepi, Distinguished Fellow Anka Lee highlights how Taiwan uses grassroots diplomacy to shape its long-term security. Key voices in Taiwan are pleased with recent significant wins in US-Taiwan ties, but there is clear anxiety over the durability of Washington’s political support.
Insights: Ambassador (ret.) Philip Reeker - Europe & the U.S. National Security Strategy
Wilson Center Distinguished Fellow Ambassador (ret.) Philip Reeker analyzes the role of Europe in the new U.S. National Security Strategy
Insights: Carrie Filipetti - Latin America & the U.S. National Security Strategy
Distinguished Fellow Carrie Filipetti analyzes how the new U.S. National Security Strategy addresses Latin America
Insights on US National Security Strategy: Perspectives from Middle East Expert Ambassador David Hale
Posted date/time:January 9, 2026 Distinguished Fellow David Hale commends the 2025 National Security Strategy for its candid focus on restoring American economic competitiveness and acknowledges the significant regional strides made in reversing the fortunes of Iran.
Insights on US National Security Strategy: Perspectives from Western Hemisphere Expert Carrie Filipetti
Posted date/time:January 9, 2026 Distinguished Fellow Carrie Filipetti says that while President Trump’s National Security Strategy correctly prioritizes the Western Hemisphere, there are still steps the Administration can take to bolster the "Americas First" agenda.
Insights: Ambassador David Hale - The Middle East & the U.S. National Security Strategy
Distinguished Fellow, The Wilson Center; Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; Former Ambassador to Pakistan, Lebanon, and Jordan
Trump's China Tariff Now Treats Hong Kong the Same as the Mainland, a First in US Policy
All too little noticed in the flurry of executive orders and chaos of the opening weeks of the Trump administration was a statement with potentially profound consequences sandwiched into the new 10 percent tariff imposed on China – that “the articles that are products of China” will “hereinafter… include products of Hong Kong.” This insert, published in the Federal Register, represents a decision that, for the first time since Trump’s 2020 Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization,...
Open E.A.R.S. for Change Continues to Inspire Asian-Black Unity Through Annual Celebration
By Anka Lee Post Intern Featuring lion dance, hip-hop dance and more, the third annual Lunar New Year Black History Month drew a multiracial and multi-ethnic crowd to the Oakland Asian Cultural Center on Feb. 1. Perhaps unique in the U.S., this deliberately bicultural celebration honored diversity in both communities.
Oakland Celebrates Ethiopian Holiday of Epiphany (Timket) 2025
By Anka Lee Post Intern This year, the celebration of the Ethiopian holiday known as Timket (Timkat), or Epiphany, will take place at Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts (formerly known as the Kaiser Convention Center). This culturally and religiously significant celebration will occur Jan. 18 and 19. It’s an opportunity to see Ethiopian culture up close, while hopefully bringing more attention to a holiday not many know about.
U.S. Faces Rise in Anti-Asian Attacks From COVID-19 Rhetoric
Argument Policymakers and analysts have a duty to speak out for a vulnerable community. By Caroline Chang, Anka Lee, and Johna Ohtagaki Protesters rally to raise awareness of anti-Asian violence, holding an image of 84-year-old murder victim Vicha Ratanapakdee, near Chinatown in Los Angeles, on Feb. 20. Ringo Chiu/AFP via Getty Images March 12, 2021, 2:07 PM In recent weeks, a spate of high-profile violent crimes has caused widespread fear in the Asian American community.
Think Beyond the Beltway -- Bring Mayors and Governors to the Foreign Policy Table
Filed under: congressional authorization, Department of State, Diplomacy, Foreign Affairs, foreign aid, Foreign Policy, governance, local government The COVID-19 pandemic has increasingly elevated mayors, governors, state legislators, and other local officials into global policy debates. As the virus started to spread around the world, regional coordination, even across borders – between Texas and Mexico, for example – became increasingly urgent.
The Optimistic Case for Hong Kong
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s iron-fisted move last week to crack down on political dissent in Hong Kong shocked, saddened and angered many who know the vibrant global hub. When China regained control over Hong Kong 23 years ago, both London and Beijing agreed that the city would enjoy a high degree of autonomy, with its own legal system, under a framework known as “One Country, Two Systems” for 50 years, until 2047.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Anka
Contact Anka, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack