Dr Olivia Cheung is a Lecturer in Politics at the Department of European and International Studies, King’s College London. Her latest book (co-authored with Steve Tsang), The Political Thought of Xi Jinping, was published by Oxford University Press in 2024. It was a Financial Times’ ‘What to read in 2024’ book, featured in the TIME magazine, and recorded more than 70 media mentions, including 30 reviews in academic journals, newspapers, and magazines. Her other book, Factional-Ideological Conflicts in Chinese Politics: To the Left or to the Right?, was published by Amsterdam University Press in 2023. A primer of it can be found in her China Quarterly article, “Factional model-making in China: Party elites’ open contention in the policy process,” which was discussed in the The Economist and the Pekingology podcast. Her new book, co-authored with Tsang, on China’s global strategy, is forthcoming with Oxford University Press. She is working on collaborative research projects that study the intersections of domestic politics and foreign policy of China in comparative contexts.

Prior to joining King's, Dr Cheung was Research Fellow at the China Institute of SOAS, University of London and Teaching Fellow at the University of Warwick, where she was Director for the MA in International Politics and East Asia. She completed her MPhil and DPhil in Politics at the University of Oxford, where she was a Swire Scholar and a Rhodes Scholar.

Dr Cheung participates in tracks 1.5 and 2 dialogues. She has commented on the news on radio, for newspapers, and on television, and has advised on the production of BBC documentary podcasts, such as China’s Ping Pong Power and China in Slogans.

Dr Cheung is Michael Moran Associate Editor for Government and Opposition.

Office hours

Tuesday: 12.30 - 13.30

Wednesday: 13.45 - 14.45

During term-time, except reading week. You can book a slot using the link here.

Research interests

• Politics and international relations of China
• Xi Jinping thought
• Comparative politics
• Authoritarianism
• International order
• Diplomacy and strategy

Teaching

5AAOB217 The Politics and Foreign Policy of China

7AAON232 China’s Global Rise: Great Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics

PhD supervision

I welcome applications for PhD topics related to my research interests.