Over the years, have developed various strands of research, including the following:

Geographical focus:

• The politics and international relations of the Indo-Pacific
• Europe’s relations with China and Asian countries
• European foreign policy
• China’s domestic and foreign policy
• Transatlantic relations and China/Asia

Thematic focus:

• The domestic-foreign policy nexus
• The regional order in the Indo-Pacific
• The US-China-EU strategic triangle

Research highlights

Europe-China techno-political linkage. My PhD thesis - published as a monograph by Oxford University Press in 2009 - unveiled original findings on EU-China space technology cooperation, including European transfers of satellite navigation technology which were exploited by Chinese authorities to advance Beijing’s space military program – a dynamic with far-reaching implications for the United States and its Asian allies. These breakthrough findings - gathered during various fieldworks in China where I accessed government facilities and interviewed officials – have been used by policymakers in the European Parliament, the House of Lords, and the U.S. Congress in their inquiries into Europe-China relations and their implications for the West.

Euro-Renminbi axis. Have carried out innovative research - based on fieldwork and interviews - on why and how Europe and China have come to support each other’s monetary ambitions, including: (i) Off-the-record findings and estimates on China’s diversification of its foreign reserves away from the dollar and into euro-denominated assets;  (ii) Analysis of Europe’s backing for the inclusion of the Chinese currency in the IMF’s official reserves (the Special Drawing Rights), a move strongly opposed by Washington; (iii) Data and insights into European banks’ use of the China International Payment System (Cips) alternative to the Western-controlled Swift. The findings have been used by EU institutions and published in various outlets, including Foreign Affairs and Project Syndicate.

Europe-Korea connection. In the last decade, have researched and organized various conferences on Europe’s relations with the Korean Peninsula as well as on the EU’s distinctive involvement in the North Korea’s nuclear dossier. These activities have led to the publication of several articles and chapters, and two books: an edited volume on EU-South Korea security relations; and a co-edited Handbook of Europe-Korea Relations which has become the standard reference on the topic.