His research focuses on the political economy of development, governance, and China, with a central agenda to understand the institutional and economic foundations of China’s rise and the dynamic interactions between its domestic political structures and global economic behavior. His teaching interests at Duke Kunshan include comparative and international political economy, China’s economic transition and politics, and research methods. 

His previous research appeared in journals such as Urban Affairs Review, Journal of Contemporary China, and Economic History of Development Regions. He has contributed chapters to two Edward Elgar Handbooks regarding subnational government and public policy in China. Currently, he is working on a series of China-focused projects on local official promotion, interjurisdictional cooperation, and the nexus between state capitalism, industrial policy, and global backlash against China in trade. 

He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Public Administration from Shandong University and Beijing Institute of Technology, respectively, and earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from The Ohio State University, where he received the department’s Best Dissertation Award. Before joining Duke Kunshan, he was an Assistant Professor at Fudan University.