Name: MA BO (马博)

Email: mabo [at] nju.edu.cn

Research Interests

• China’s foreign policy theory and national identity (e.g., “peaceful internationalism”); major policy analysis (e.g., Belt and Road Initiative)

• U.S.–China foreign policy analysis: Indo-Pacific strategy, South China Sea, cybersecurity policy

• Interdisciplinary studies of Public International Law and International Relations: maritime law & policy; cyber law & policy

Academic Positions

• Associate Professor, School of International Studies, Nanjing University; Deputy Director, China Center for Collaborative Study of the South China Sea (Apr 2022–present)

• Full-time Research Fellow, China Center for Collaborative Study of the South China Sea, Nanjing University (Dec 2014–Mar 2022)

• Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY) (2009–2014)

Education

• PhD in Political Science, The Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York (CUNY), USA (2014)

• LLM in Public International Law, Queen Mary University of London, UK (2020) — Chevening Scholarship

• MA in International Relations, New York University (NYU), USA (2008)

• MSc in Comparative Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK (2007)

• BA in Public Administration, Beijing Normal University, China (2006)

Additional Information

• Political Affiliation: Masses (群众)

Nanjing University (2014-)

• Public International Law

• U.S. Politics and Foreign Policy

• International Security
  

Queens College, CUNY (English-taught) (2008-2014)

• American Government

• Comparative Politics (incl. East Asia)

• Public International Law

• International Organizations

• Capitalism and Democracy

National-level

• Principal Investigator, National Social Science Fund of China (Major Research Special Program on U.S. Studies), RMB 400,000 (2021) — completed

• Principal Investigator, National Social Science Fund of China (Youth Project), “Lawfare and U.S. South China Sea Policy toward China,”RMB 200,000 (2018) — completed

• Principal Investigator, Ministry of Education (MOE) “Chunhui Plan” collaborative research project, RMB 50,000 — completed

• Principal Investigator, National Social Science Fund of China (2025 Special Commissioned Research Project), RMB 200,000 — ongoing 

Ministerial / provincial 

• Principal Investigator, commissioned by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, “U.S.–Philippines alliance and implications for China policy,”USD 3,000 — completed

• Principal Investigator, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC, “Development of U.S. Relations with the Philippines under the Biden Presidency,”RMB 20,000 (2021) — completed

• Principal Investigator, State Ethnic Affairs Commission of the PRC, “U.S. ‘Global Muslim Engagement’ and its impacts on China,”RMB 10,000 (2021) — completed

• Principal Investigator, Ministry of Natural Resources of the PRC, “Building Blue Partnership(s) between China and ASEAN countries, the U.S., and Canada,”RMB 50,000 — completed

• Principal Investigator, Ministry of Natural Resources of the PRC, “Sino–U.S. Blue Economy Cooperation,”RMB 50,000 (2020) — completed (retained from prior English version)

• Principal Investigator, Jiangsu Provincial Social Science Fund, “Comprehensive Security in the Era of Xi Jinping,”RMB 50,000 (2018) — completed

• Principal Investigator, State Oceanic Administration soft-science project, “New mechanisms and projects for China–ASEAN ‘Blue Economy Circle’ cooperation platform,”RMB 50,000 — completed

• Co-Principal Investigator, MOE-commissioned project, “Promoting China–foreign people-to-people and cultural exchanges: China–U.S. exchanges,”RMB 60,000 — completed

• Principal Investigator, Jiangsu Provincial United Front Work Department (annual key project), “XX factor in U.S.–China relations,”RMB 80,000 — completed

• Principal Investigator, Ministry of Natural Resources of the PRC, “China–ASEAN maritime issues study,”RMB 40,000 — completed

Books

• Ma, Bo. China’s Belt and Road Initiative under Xi Jinping: Opportunity and Challenge. Nanjing: Nanjing University Press, forthcoming 2027. (in Chinese)

• Ma, Bo. Chinese Foreign Policy in Xi Jinping’s Era: Grand Designs and Contentious Issues. Singapore: World Scientific (and subsidiary imprint), 2018. (in Chinese)

• Ma, Bo. China’s Search for Peaceful Internationalism in a Liberal Internationalist World. Book manuscript under review.

PEER-VIEW ARTICLES 

In English:

• Ma, Bo. “China’s Fragmented Approach toward the Indo-Pacific Strategy: One Concept, Many Lenses.” The China Review 20(3) (2020). (SSCI)

• Ma, Bo. “Managing China–Singapore Relations amid U.S.–China Rivalry.” Trends in Southeast Asia, TRS19/23. ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute (2023).

In Chinese:

2025

• Ma, Bo & Tu Yaling. “U.S. Hegemony Reproduction in the Digital Finance Era: An Assessment of the Trump Administration’s Cryptocurrency Strategy” (数字金融时代美国霸权再生产:特朗普政府加密货币战略评析). 世界经济与政治论坛, No.6 (2025).

• Ma, Bo. “China–ASEAN New Energy Vehicle Cooperation from the ‘Global South’ Perspective” (“全球南方”视角下的中国—东盟新能源汽车合作评析). 亚太安全与海洋研究, No.3 (2025).

• Ma, Bo & Lin Yu. “Assessing Trump 2.0’s South China Sea Policy through ‘Project 2025’” (从“2025工程”看特朗普2.0的南海政策). 中国评论, No.5 (2025).

• Ma, Bo & Wang Jiahao. “The ‘Timely Hedging’ Strategy of the Philippines between China and the U.S.: The Duterte Period” (菲律宾在中美之间的“适时对冲”战略探析：以杜特尔特时期为例). 国际战略与安全研究集刊, No.2 (2025).

2024

• Ma, Bo & Hou Lexuan. “U.S. Chip Supply-Chain Minilateral Cooperation Mechanisms: A Minilateralism Perspective” (小多边主义视角下美国芯片供应链合作机制研究). 世界经济与政治论坛, No.6 (2024).

2023

• Ma, Bo. “Hegemonic Decline and the Rise of Minilateralism: The Case of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)” (霸权的衰落与小多边主义的崛起 ——以美国构建“四方安全对话”为例). 亚太安全与海洋研究, No.4 (2023).

2014-2022

Ma, Bo and Danwei Zhu. “National Identity Theory and the Transition of China’s Aid Policy to Africa From Non-Political Conditionality, Responsible Power to China--Africa Common Community.” Asia-Pacific Security and Maritime Studies, No.4 (2019), (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “Rising Sea Levels: Challenges and Responses for Small Island Developing States from the Perspective of International law--the Prospect of Cooperation between China and Small Island States.” Review of International Law. No.6 (2018): 46-60, (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “A Study of Vietnam’s “Internationalization of the South China Sea Disputes” Policy.” Journal of Hainan University. No.4 (2018): 7-16. (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “An Analysis of Tsai Ing-Wen’s ‘New Southward Policy’ and its Perspective.” Taiwan Research Journal. No. 2 (2018):35-47. (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “Trump’s “American First” Foreign Policy Ideas and its Implications to Sino-US Relations.” Northeast Asia Forum. No. 5 (2017): 58-67. (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “Russia’s ‘Look East’ Strategy: Opportunities and Challenges for the OBOR.”

Russian Studies. No.3 (2017):49-75. (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “A Review of Duterte’s Foreign Policy Turn-around.” Forum of International 

        Studies. No. 4 (2017): 31-39. (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “An Analysis of the SCS Arbitration Case’s Award on the ‘Land Reclamation’ Issue and Its Impact on Future Legal Research.” Journal of Boundary and Ocean Studies. No.4 (2017): 54-67. 

Ma, Bo. “An Analysis of the Strategic Connectivity between Brunei’s ‘National Vision

        2035’ and China’s OBOR Initiative.” Southeast Asian Affair. No.1 (2017): 62-73.  

        (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “Building the Strategic Connection for the OBOR: An Analysis of Sino-Sri

        Lankan Relations.”  Forum of World Economy and Politics. NO.1 (2016): 48-63.

        (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “Is the ‘South China Sea Arbitration Case’ Compatible with the UNCLOS.” Asia-

        Pacific Security and Maritime Studies. No.2 (2016): 30-33.

Ma, Bo. “Sino-Japanese Diaoyu Islands Dispute: The Role of the US.” Asia-Pacific Security and Maritime Studies. No.1 (2016): 117-124.

Ma, Bo. “An Analysis of Strategic Connectivity between the OBOR Initiative and

        Indonesia’s Global Maritime Fulcrum Strategy.” Global Review. No.5 (2015): 33-50.   

        (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “Three Legal Perspectives in Understanding China’s Island Building in the South 

        China Sea.” Law Review. No.5 (2015): 153-161. (CSSCI)

Ma, Bo. “the South China Sea Disputes: How to Understand the US’s Positions.”

Asia-Pacific Security and Maritime Studies. No.3 (2015): 113-120.

BOOKS CHAPTERS

In Chinese

Ma, Bo. “Disappearing Islands and Land Reclamations: Challenges and Solutions of Maritimes Law.” In Xue Guifang eds Maritimes Law Studies Volume 2, Shanghai: Shanghai Jiaotong University Press (2018): 3-17. 

Ma, Bo. “An Analysis of Strategic Connectivity between the OBOR Initiative and

        Indonesia’s Global Maritime Fulcrum Strategy.” In Feng Shaolei edsOBOR: Visions 

        and Actions. Shanghai: Shanghai People’s Press (2016): 367-384.

Ma, Bo. “An Analysis of the ‘981 Incidents’ and the Impacts to Sino-Vietnamese 

        Relations.” In Zhu Feng eds, the South China Sea: Issues and Analysis. Beijing:  

        World Knowledge Press (2016): 262-274.

Ma, Bo. “Sino-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation: The Perspective of Comprehensive

        Security.” In Zhu Feng eds, the Forum of South China Sea 2014, Beijing: World 

        Knowledge Press (2016): 356-377.

Ma, Bo. “Maritime Disputes under ‘Liberal International’ World Order: Patterns and 

        Lessons.” In Zhu Feng eds, the 21^st Century Maritime Power: Lessons and Chinese 

        Experience, Beijing: World Knowledge Press (2015): 245-259.

COMMENTARY 

        Since 2014: 200+ commentaries published in English outlets (e.g., China Daily, Beijing Review, Global Times, The Diplomat, Fulcrum, South China Morning Post, East Asia Forum) and Chinese outlets (e.g., 中国社会科学报, 环球时报, 凤凰周刊, 21世纪经济报道, 广州日报, 香港东方日报), among others.

Visiting & Professional Training

• Visiting Fellow, Centre for China in the World (CIW), Australian National University (ANU), Australia (Jul–Aug 2025)

• Visiting Senior Fellow, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore (Mar–Sep 2023)

• Visiting Professor/Scholar, University of Macau, China (May–Aug 2017; Oct–Dec 2020)

• Certificate, 13th IFLOS Summer Academy, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), Hamburg, Germany (Jul–Aug 2019)

• Visiting Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, The University of Hong Kong (May 2019)

• Certificate, Marco Polo–Zheng He Academy of International Oceans Law and Policy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China (Jul–Aug 2015)

• Certificate, Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research, University of Michigan, USA (Jun–Jul 2012)

• Certificate, Summer Courses, The Hague Academy of International Law, The Netherlands (Jul–Aug 2009)

• Chevening Scholarship (UK FCDO), 2019–2020

• Wang Gungwu Visiting Fellowship, Ministry of Education (Singapore), 2023