Miao Zhang

Biography
Miao Zhang is an Associate Professor and Vice Dean at the School of International Relations/Research School for Southeast Asian Studies, Xiamen University. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Malaya. Her research focuses on the political economy of Chinese investment in Southeast Asia and power relations within global value chains. Dr. Zhang’s work has appeared in leading international journals such as Journal of Contemporary Asia, Pacific Review, Asian Perspective, Review of Development Economics, Singapore Economic Review, and Journal of Asia Pacific Economy. In addition to her academic research, she has served as a consultant for governments and international organizations including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

Research Interests

· Southeast Asian economies

· Industrial political economy

· Global value chain analysis

· Malaysia studies

Courses Taught (Past Five Years)

1. Introduction to the World Economy, Undergraduate (2019–present)

2. China’s Role in the Global Political Economy, Master’s & PhD (2019–present)

3. Methods in Area Studies, Undergraduate & Graduate (2024–present)

4. International Economics, Master’s & PhD (2019–2024)

5. Comparative Political Economy, Undergraduate (2022–2024)

Selected Publications (English only, Past Five Years)

1. Zhang, M., & Yang, R. (2025). Host-site dynamics and their impact on China’s investment in Malaysia: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Pacific Affairs, 98(4), 725–752. https://doi.org/10.5509/2025984-art6

2. Zhang, M., & Pang, Z. T. (2024). Different motives, different outcomes: A comparative study of China’s outward FDI in industrial parks in Malaysia and Indonesia. Asian Economic Papers, 27(2), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1162/asep_a_00951

3. Zhang, M., & Lim, G. (2023). Industrialization in an age of China rising: A tale of two Chinese automobile companies in Malaysia. Asian Perspective, 47(4), 629–654. https://doi.org/10.1353/apr.2023.a912748

4. Zhang, M., & Yang, R. (2022). FDI and spillovers: New evidence from Malaysia’s manufacturing sector. Review of Development Economics, 26(2), 847–877.

5. Zhang, M., & Mia, A. (2021). Rooting in Nanyang: How efficient are Chinese manufacturing firms in Malaysia? The Singapore Economic Review, 66(1), 185–206.

6. Zhang, M. (2020). Beyond infrastructure: Re-thinking China’s foreign direct investment in Malaysia. The Pacific Review, 34(6), 1054–1078.

Research Projects (as Principal Investigator, Past Five Years)

1. Industrial Structural Transformation in ASEAN under Global Value Chain Reconfiguration and Its Implications for China’s Economic Security, 2025, Research School for Southeast Asian Studies, ongoing.

2. International Lessons on Enhancing Total Factor Productivity for High-Quality Development, 2024, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, ongoing.

3. Political Economy Risks and Mitigation Pathways of China–ASEAN Industrial Chain Cooperation, 2021, National Social Science Foundation of China (Youth Project), ongoing.

4. Mechanisms for Talent Training and Recruitment through Overseas Educational Institutions, 2024, Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Sciences Project, completed.

5. The Impact of New Chinese Associations in Southeast Asia on Chinese Modernization, 2024, United Front Work Department of Xiamen, completed.

6. Political Economy Risks in Fujian–ASEAN Industrial Chain Cooperation, 2023, Fujian Science & Technology Soft Science Project, completed.

7. Enhancing China’s Industrial Chain Cooperation with Overseas Chinese Businesses, 2023, United Front Work Department of Xiamen, completed.

8. Survival and Development of Chinese Enterprises in Malaysia in the Post-Pandemic Era, 2022, Fujian Provincial Department of Education, completed.

9. Survival and Development of New Chinese Migrants in Malaysia in the Post-Pandemic Era, 2022, United Front Work Department of Fujian Province, completed.

10. Strengthening China’s South Asia Strategy to Support Neighbourhood Diplomacy, 2021, Ministry of Education National Area Studies Project, completed.

Awards (Past Five Years)

1. Best Teaching Design Award, 11th English Teaching Competition, Xiamen University, 2023

2. Second Prize, 11th English Teaching Competition, Xiamen University, 2023

3. Second Prize, Liuyubin Youth Research Award, Xiamen University, 2022

4. High-Level Talent (Category B), Xiamen Municipality, 2021

5. High-Level Talent (Category B), Fujian Province, 2021