Gemma King

About Gemma King

I’m a geopolitical analyst specializing in Indo-Pacific strategy, with professional experience across Australia, Indonesia, and the United States. My work examines U.S.–China strategic competition in East and Southeast Asia — focusing on alliance management, regional security, and economic statecraft. I am currently completing a Master of Arts in Asian Studies at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Before moving to Washington, D.C, I served as a Research Associate at the Perth USAsia Centre, a leading Australian think tank on Indo-Pacific strategy. There, I led the Centre’s U.S.–Australia alliance program, collaborating with government (U.S, Australia, Japan, Indonesia) and business partners on initiatives related to AUKUS, public diplomacy, and economic security. My research also covered regional economic dynamics — including the U.S.–China trade war, free trade agreements (RCEP, CPTPP), critical minerals, and economic coercion. I served as a research assistant to two former Australian Defence Ministers, and contributed to consultations on Australian foreign and defense policy including the 2023 Defence Strategic Review. At Georgetown, I’ve completed internships with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Vriens & Partners, and participated in the School of Foreign Service’s Asia Pacific program in Jakarta, where I researched Indonesia’s mining sector and regional competition for critical minerals. I also served as an Associate Editor for the Georgetown Journal of Asian Affairs.I was named a Rising Think Tank Leader from Quad Countries (U.S. Department of State, 2023), and selected as a Next Generation Leader on the US-Australia Alliance to travel to INDOPACOM for a young professionals’ program (U.S. Department of State, 2022). I was also previously an Indo-Pacific Fellow for Young Australians in International Affairs. My analysis has been published in outlets across the world including Nikkei Asia, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, The Strategist, Australian Outlook, and Japan Up Close. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations & Indonesian Studies from the University of Western Australia. I am proficient in Bahasa Indonesia.

Experience

1. Analyst

   Vriens & Partners

   Sep 2025 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Advising on business development and investment strategies for existing and prospective large global clients expanding into Southeast Asia Interfacing with clients and providing analysis on policy developments impacting the business and regulatory environment

Education

• The University of Western Australia

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Political Science and International Relations, Indonesian Studies

  2016 — 2019

• John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School

  Western Australian Certificate of Education

  2002 — 2015

• Georgetown University

  Master of Arts - MA, Asian Studies