China Matters Team

China Matters Ltd
ABN 19601328018
China Matters is registered as a charity under the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC).

China Matters is an independent organisation that strives to advance sound China policy. We are unique in Australia. We engage business executives, public servants, politicians, and university leaders about challenging policy choices in the Australia-China relationship. We generate public debate about Australia’s relationship with the People’s Republic of China, which aims to inject nuance and realism into discussions. On the basis of solid China expertise and Chinese-language sources, we research problematic policy issues with the goal of formulating recommendations and providing analysis on how these policy challenges are viewed in Beijing.

China Matters does not have an institutional view.

Team

Dirk van der Kley - Program Director - Policy Research

Dirk van der Kley
Staff
Dirk is Program Director – Policy Research at China Matters. His most recent work has been at the Australian National University, where his doctoral thesis focussed on PRC economic statecraft. He recently returned from two years’ fieldwork in China and Central Asia on an Endeavour Scholarship. Previously Dirk worked as a Research Associate at the Lowy Institute for International Policy. Dirk is fluent in Mandarin. He wrote his Honours thesis at University of Sydney in Chinese.
Jennifer Hsu - Policy Analyst

Jennifer Hsu
Staff
Jennifer is a Policy Analyst at China Matters. After completing her PhD at the University of Cambridge in Development Studies, she researched and taught in development studies, political science and sociology in North America and the UK. Her research expertise broadly covers state-society relations, state-NGO relations and the internationalisation of Chinese NGOs. She has published widely in these areas.
Susan Nguyen - Communications and Events Manager

Susan Nguyen
Staff
Susan is the Communications and Events Manager at China Matters. Prior to her role at China Matters, she spent eight years in the aviation industry at the Sydney based CAPA-Centre for Aviation, initially as Managing Editor of the airline strategy magazine Airline Leader, and latterly as Head of Events, where she launched high level conferences in Asia, Europe and the US. Susan graduated with distinction from the University of Sydney with a BA (Media and Communications). During her final year, she was awarded an international fellowship by the Australia-Korea Foundation within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Zoe Peet - Office Manager and Operations Coordinator

Zoe Peet
Staff
Zoe is the Office Manager and Operations Coordinator at China Matters. She is studying a Bachelor of Arts and Advanced studies (Politics and International Relations/Visual Arts) at the University of Sydney, and has a previous qualification in Italian Language and European Studies from the University of Western Australia. Prior to China Matters, Zoe’s previous experience focussed on managing operations within retail and consumer goods industries.
Anita Wang - Young Professionals Project Coordinator

Anita Wang
Staff
Anita is the Young Professionals Project Coordinator at China Matters. She is studying a Bachelor of Commerce and Advanced Studies (Finance/Chinese studies) at the University of Sydney. Prior to her role at China Matters, Anita had previous experience working with Deloitte Hong Kong China in the area of blockchain technology, along with a previous internship with the Australian Chamber of Commerce Shanghai in China. Anita is fluent in Mandarin, and her interests include Australia-China trade relations, the development of eCommerce and artificial intelligence technology in China, and China’s economic welfare within the Asia-Pacific region.
Gabrielle Burgess - Policy Assistant

Gabrielle Burgess
Staff
Gabrielle is a Policy Assistant at China Matters. She is also the Co-founding Director of the Culture Bridge Institute, a think tank examining cross-cultural issues in Australia. Previously, Gabrielle was a research assistant at UN Women in Beijing and has interned with UNHCR’s legal protection team and with the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Beijing. She has completed a year-long exchange at Peking University studying Chinese foreign policy and Mandarin language courses. Gabrielle holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and Bachelor of Asia-Pacific Studies from the Australian National University.
Brian Xu - Junior Fellow

Brian Xu
Junior Fellow
Brian is finishing a Bachelor of Engineering and a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Sydney, majoring in Aeronautical Engineering and Economics. He is a fluent Mandarin speaker, having studied in Tianjin and Beijing for six years, and has previously worked as a translator for the Chinese science and technology publication Guokr, as a GRE tutor for Chinese students, and as a consulting engineer. Brian developed his interest in international and China affairs through Model United Nations, and his main areas of interest are China’s military development and defence policy.
Baopu He - Junior Fellow

Baopu He
Junior Fellow
Baopu He is a fourth year student at the University of Sydney studying a Bachelor of Arts, where he majored in Japanese, and a Bachelor of Laws. Besides English and Mandarin, Baopu also has full professional proficiency in Japanese, having spent a year studying Japanese literature, language and politics at Waseda University before joining China Matters. He is currently an editor at Honi Soit, the University of Sydney’s student newspaper, and has previously worked for Sydney Speaks, an ARC research project conducted by ANU which explores multiculturalism and diversity in Australian English.