William Chou

Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Japan Chair

Will Chou

At A Glance:

William Chou is a senior fellow and deputy director of Hudson Institute's Japan Chair.

Biography

William Chou is a senior fellow and deputy director of Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair. His work at Hudson focuses on the United States’ relationship with Japan and other Indo-Pacific issues, especially economic security, trade and investment, and regional partnerships. Dr. Chou’s recent projects include analyses of the Nippon Steel–US Steel partnership, economic security cooperation among the US, Japan, and the European Union, automotive and critical mineral supply chains, and US industrial and trade initiatives around the world.

Dr. Chou writes and speaks regularly on policy issues, with his analysis appearing in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Politico, The Washington Post, Nikkei, The New York Times, and the Financial Times.

He holds a BA in history from Yale and a PhD in history from the Ohio State University, with a dissertation and book manuscript on Cold War US-Japan commercial and diplomatic relations. He is a former fellow at the Smithsonian, the Clements Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Tokyo. He began his career as a research analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses during the Iraq War.

A native New Yorker, Dr. Chou is a former Jeopardy! champion.

Events
17
September 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Industry, Security, and Community: Senator David McCormick on the Nippon Steel–U.S. Steel Deal
Featured Speakers:
Senator David McCormick
Hiroshi Ono
Kevin Lewis
Moderators:
Joel Scanlon
William Chou
Getty Images
17
September 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Industry, Security, and Community: Senator David McCormick on the Nippon Steel–U.S. Steel Deal

Experts talk about why this deal supports American workers and communities, the major capital and technological investment, and how Nippon Steel’s investment advances American industrial and economic strength.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Senator David McCormick
Hiroshi Ono
Kevin Lewis
Moderators:
Joel Scanlon
William Chou
02
April 2025
Past Event
America First and the Trump Administration’s New Investment Agenda
Featured Speakers:
Thomas J. Duesterberg
William Chou
Mario Mancuso
Getty Images
02
April 2025
Past Event
America First and the Trump Administration’s New Investment Agenda

Join Hudson’s Mario Mancuso, William Chou, and Thomas Duesterberg for a discussion about the Trump administration’s recently announced America First Investment Policy. 

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Thomas J. Duesterberg
William Chou
Mario Mancuso
12
February 2025
Past Event
An Integrated Approach to US-Japan Cooperation with Southeast Asia
Featured Speakers:
Ken Jimbo
Kenan Arkan
Yuki Shimazu
David Byrd
William Chou
Moderator:
Kenneth R. Weinstein
U.S. and Philippine Coast Guard Bilateral SAREX
12
February 2025
Past Event
An Integrated Approach to US-Japan Cooperation with Southeast Asia

Hudson’s Japan Chair will welcome a panel of geopolitical, security, and economic experts to address the challenges and opportunities for US-Japan cooperation with Southeast Asia. 

U.S. and Philippine Coast Guard Bilateral SAREX
Featured Speakers:
Ken Jimbo
Kenan Arkan
Yuki Shimazu
David Byrd
William Chou
Moderator:
Kenneth R. Weinstein
03
December 2024
Past Event
Why Local Stakeholders Support the Nippon Steel–US Steel Deal
Featured Speakers:
Chris Kelly
Jason Zugai
Jack Maskil
Moderator:
William Chou
The exterior of the US Steel Clairton Coke Plant on March 20, 2024, in Clairton, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen via Getty Images)
03
December 2024
Past Event
Why Local Stakeholders Support the Nippon Steel–US Steel Deal

Hudson’s Japan Chair will host a panel discussion with stakeholders from the Mon Valley in Pennsylvania. Mayor of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, Chris Kelly and USW Local 2227’s Jack Maskill and Jason Zugai will share their thoughts on the deal’s local impact.

The exterior of the US Steel Clairton Coke Plant on March 20, 2024, in Clairton, Pennsylvania. (Jeff Swensen via Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Chris Kelly
Jason Zugai
Jack Maskil
Moderator:
William Chou
President Donald J Trump speaks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on February 7, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Jabin Botsford via Getty Images)
Caption
President Donald J Trump speaks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on February 7, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Jabin Botsford via Getty Images)
kenneth-weinstein
kenneth-weinstein
Japan Chair
Will Chou
Will Chou
Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Japan Chair
thomas_duesterberg
thomas_duesterberg
Senior Fellow
Riley Walters
Riley Walters
Senior Fellow
Commentary
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