Paul Heer served as National Intelligence Officer for East Asia from 2007 to 2015, a period of immense change both within China and in the U.S.'s perception of China. The position capped a long career as a CIA analyst focused on East Asia, during which he also earned a PhD in diplomatic history, with a focus on George Kennan's role in formulating East Asia policy during the early Cold War. He's now a distinguished fellow at the Center for the National Interest, where he writes and speaks frequently on the U.S.'s China strategy – particularly its blind spots and misperceptions. The interview has been lightly condensed for length and clarity. Paul Heer. Illustration by Lauren Crow Q: You joined the CIA as an analyst straight out of graduate school. Is there anything you wish you’d known back then about the nature of intelligence work? A: Not so much about the nature of intelligence work – I guess I had a sense of that. What I wish I had known was more about how policymaker