Anthony Saich
Daewoo Professor of International Affairs and the Harvard Kennedy School; Director of the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia
China Public Policy Program
Understanding the toughest challenges confronting China — from energy policy to citizen satisfaction
Contact Info
- Laura Ma, Associate Director, Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia and China Programs
- laura_ma@hks.harvard.edu
Related Programs
Asia Energy and Sustainability Initiative, China and the World, China Philanthropy Project
The China Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School provides a school-wide platform to analyze key policy challenges both within China and in China’s increasing role in the world.
Meet the Team
Edward Cunningham
Director of Ash Center China Programs and of the Asia Energy and Sustainability Initiative; Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy
Rana Mitter
S.T. Lee Professor of U.S.-Asia Relations
Laura Ma
Associate Director, Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia and China Programs
Cherry (Xingqun) Wu
Faculty Assistant and Program Coordinator, Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia
Visiting Fellows and Junior Scholars
Our rich diversity of fellows includes a cohort of post-doctoral fellows and faculty from leading US and Chinese research universities, doctoral candidates from partner universities in China, and influential practitioners from industry, the non-profit sector, and other areas.
The China Public Policy Program is also home to junior scholars of exceptional promise in the field of contemporary Chinese public policy and is proud to play a key role in supporting Kennedy School students in the form of teaching, tuition assistance, fellowships, and grants for student-led events, initiatives, and applied learning opportunities.
Program Fellows
Kristine Li
China Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellow, AY 2022-2025
Paul G. Clifford
Non-resident Senior Fellow, AY2024-2025
Philip Jordan
Non-resident Senior Fellow, October 2024 - September 2025
Hao Chen
Research Fellow, AY2024-2025
Liyuan Lyu
Ph.D. Student Fellow, 2024
Previous Research Funds and Related Projects
Hui Fund for Generating Powerful Ideas
By funding a combination of degree students, academic research, results-driven conferences, and targeted senior practitioners, the Hui Fund built a powerful body of strategic thinkers working on issues of direct relevance to the U.S. and Chinese policy-making communities. The Fund prioritized collaborative research initiatives that expressly collaborate with institutions and individuals from China in an effort to deepen the intellectual foundation of exchange between Harvard and the region.
Public Opinion Project
From 2003 through 2016, Anthony Saich, director of the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia, conducted detailed surveys of Chinese satisfaction with different levels of government. This research revealed that citizen satisfaction with the government had increased since 2003, but also that stark differences in government approval ratings existed based on government level as well as respondents’ region and income level. You can read the final report on the work, “Understanding CCP Resilience: Surveying Chinese Public Opinion Through Time” online here. A fuller analysis can be found online here.
The latest news, resources, and research
Essay
Elizabeth Plantan on Opportunities and Constraints for Civil Society in China
Though philanthropy and select NGOs are growing, other players in China’s civil society are coming under increased scrutiny and repression, outlines former Ash Center Fellow Elizabeth Plantan.
Essay
Yinxian Zhang on Chinese Citizens’ Changing Views on Democracy
As support for the CCP endures into a new century, Chinese citizens call into question the value of democracy details former China Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellow Yinxian Zhang.
Essay
The End of Party Rejuvenation? Jérôme Doyon Explores
The Chinese Communist Party’s recruitment trends show that it is attracting fewer young people, but state employment continues to entice young Chinese, says China Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellow Jérôme Doyon.
Feature
Hong Kong as the Canary in the Coal Mine
Ash Fellow and Former Hong Kong Legislator Dennis Kwok on China’s growing assertiveness
Essay
Tony Saich on the Party and Private Business: Lessons from History
Ash Center Director Tony Saich reflects on the Chinese Communist Party’s longstanding distrust, and often disdain, for the private sector as a guide to interpreting Xi Jinping’s recent policy initiatives targeting private business.
Q+A
Tony Saich on How Beijing Views the US Withdrawal from Afghanistan
We sat down with Ash Center Director Tony Saich, Daewoo Professor of International Affairs, to discuss China’s reaction to the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul and how recent events may impact the U.S. role in the Asia-Pacific region.
Occasional Paper
The Risks for International Business under the Hong Kong National Security Law
Policy Brief
The Chinese Population Implosion: An Unparalleled Demographic Challenge with Global Consequences
Book
From Rebel to Ruler: One Hundred Years of the Chinese Communist Party
Q+A
David Dapice on boosting US economic competitiveness with China
The Ash Center sat down with Senior Economist David Dapice to discuss the competition between the U.S. and China and whether the U.S. should reconsider the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Video
From Rebel to Ruler: One Hundred Years of the Chinese Communist Party
Video
Book Talk: The Chinese Dream and Ordinary Chinese People
Video
China Inside Out: A Conversation with Professor Susan Shirk
Feature
Demystifying Chinese Businesses and Creating Social Impact
In a new Ash Center policy brief, Fellow Wenchi Yu details why Chinese businesses, subject to privacy and national security scrutiny, need to rethink how they add value to communities when they operate in the U.S.
Policy Brief
