"China’s Nuclear Buildup and Japan-U.S. Deterrence Response"

The Honorable Madelyn R. Creedon is a national security expert who served as Principal Deputy Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (2014–2017) and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs (2011–2014), overseeing policy on nuclear security, countering weapons of mass destruction, space, missile defense, and cybersecurity. She also spent many years as counsel to the Senate Armed Services Committee, focusing on strategic forces, threat reduction, and nuclear nonproliferation. After retiring from federal service in 2017, she founded Green Marble Group, LLC, and serves on national security advisory boards. She is a research professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and chaired the 2023 Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States.

Dr. Brad Roberts has served as director of the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory since 2015. As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy (2009–2013), he served as policy director for the Obama administration’s Nuclear Posture Review and Ballistic Missile Defense Review and led their implementation. His prior experience includes research positions at the Institute for Defense Analyses and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as well as academic appointments at George Washington University and Stanford University.

As an independent consultant specializing in U.S. nuclear, deterrence, space, and arms control policy, strategy, and plans, Mr. Gregory Weaver serves as the principal, Strategy to Plans, LLC. Previously he served as Deputy Director for Strategic Stability on the Joint Staff (2015–2022), Principal Director for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (2013–2015), and Deputy J5 at U.S. Strategic Command (2011–2013). He also served as senior advisor to the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission (2022–2023) and as a consultant to NATO on arms control (2022–2023). His earlier experience includes managing defense analysis teams at SAIC and advising members of Congress on defense policy.

Executive Director of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and a professor at Reitaku University. He served as Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from 2012 to 2019. In 2013, he became the inaugural Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Secretariat, a role which he held until he retired from government service in 2019. He also Served as Deputy Director of the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. From 2020 to March 2025, he served as a professor at Doshisha University. Mr. Kanehara’s role in the Cabinet built on a distinguished career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he served in several notable positions, including Director-General of the Bureau of International Law, Deputy Director-General of the Foreign Policy Bureau, Ambassador in charge of the United Nations and Human Rights. He served abroad as Deputy Chief of Mission in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and as Political Minister at the Embassy of Japan in Washington. He was decorated by the president of the Republic of France with l’Ordre de la Legion d’Honneur.

Admiral Takei retired from active duty in December 2016 after having served for two years as the 32nd Chief of Staff of the JMSDF. Prior to this post, Admiral Takei served as the Commandant, JMSDF Yokosuka District (2012-2014); Vice Chief of Staff, JMSDF (2011-2012); Commandant, JMSDF Ominato District (2010-2011); Director, the MSO Operations and Plans Department (N3/N5) (2008-2010); Chief of Staff, Kure District (2007-2008); Director, the C4I Systems Department (J6), Joint Staff Office (2006-2007), among others.

After graduating from Aoyama Gakuin University with a degree in international politics, Fukuda earned a master’s degree in international relations at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He withdrew from the doctoral program at the same institution after completing the coursework. He has worked as a Research and Analysis Specialist (covering U.S. security policy) in the Intelligence and Analysis Service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a research Fellow at the Institute for International Policy Studies (currently the Nakasone Peace Institute), and as a lecturer at the Hosei University, Graduate School of Law. He had also served as a visiting research fellow at the Air Command and Staff College, JASDF.