Research highlights

Nature of the political system and issues of governance in the People's China, Taiwan and Hong Kong; the foreign and security policies of China and Taiwan; the rise of China; US-China relations; UK-China relations; EU-China relations; peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait; peace and security in East Asia; democratic politics in Taiwan; the reintegration of Hong Kong into China; and the political and diplomatic history of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong from the 19^th century.

Chinese labour and migration at the local, national and international levels form the main focus of Dr Bin Wu’s research, together with the associated impacts of migration on the environment and the economic and social sustainability of the sending and receiving communities. He spent many years researching the lives of Chinese seafarers, including several months of research on board ships. Both a geographer and a physicist by training, his work these days is more related to the field of sociology. He has worked on projects involving innovation and sustainability in rural areas of China, the development and impact of ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs in Europe and working conditions, health and safety among Chinese migrant workers.

He researches on Chinese politics, focusing on political reform and democratic changes. His book on value changes and democratization in China and East Asia was published in early 2008 by Cambria Press in New York, and a co-edited volume on democracy in East Asia and China's political changes was published by the German foundation Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. He is directing a 1.43 mln euro research project examining Chinese perceptions of the EU, and a Marie Curie Fellowship project examining local democratization in China. His research interests include the Chinese Communist Party, China's citizens and civil society, and China's international relations.

Yu’s research focuses on the dynamics and trajectory of contentious politics; how the Party-state responds to social-political activism and how effective and coherent these responsive strategies are; how civil society is growing and fragmented by contentious politics and the role of the people in advancing China’s political transition towards democracy. 

Dr Zhang's research interests include news media and international relations, communication and governance, and the relationship between society and politics. She is currently working on the EU FP7 project “Chinese Views of the EU”. She has worked on projects looking at EU external perceptions in Asia, the reform of China’s ruling-Party newspapers, and Internet communication in China. She currently working on a book entitled News media and EU-China relations.