Michael S. Chase became the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for China on 8 February 2021 and assumed the responsibilities for Taiwan and Mongolia in October 2022.

He was previously a senior political scientist at RAND where his research focused on Chinese military modernization, China's approach to strategic deterrence, Taiwan's defense policy, and Indo- Pacific security issues. Prior to working at RAND, he was an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, Rhode Island, where he taught in the Strategy and Policy Department and conducted research on Chinese maritime issues in the Center for Naval Warfare Studies (CNWS).

Before teaching at NWC, he was a research analyst at Defense Group Inc. and an associate international policy analyst at RAND. He has also taught courses on China and Indo-Pacific security issues at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Georgetown University.

He holds a PhD in international affairs and MA in China Studies from SAIS, and a BA in politics from Brandeis University.