Long-time China scholar in Washington leaves for post at Hong Kong University
- Cheng Li, formerly of the Brookings Institution, will lead a new think tank called the Centre on Governance of China and the World
- Li says he hopes to use Hong Kong as a ‘special’ place to promote peace over conflict
Washington’s China-watching community has lost one of its key fixtures to Hong Kong.
After 17 years, Cheng Li left the Washington-based Brookings Institution this week to head a new research centre at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). His faculty appointment begins on Saturday.
Brookings has yet to officially announce his departure and successor.
Li, 67, had led the think tank’s John L. Thornton China Centre since 2014 and was its longest-tenured director, overseeing its research on Chinese elite politics and contemporary Chinese society. He is known for deciphering the power structure within the Communist Party and for helping foreign audiences understand its complex chain of command.
As director, he didn’t shy away from criticising Beijing’s policies in his public engagements. More recently, he has written about the demise of educational exchange contributing to deteriorating US-China relations. His move comes as US-China relations hit historic lows, with hawkish tones and disputes over Taiwan and communication difficulties becoming the new normal.