Zenel Garcia

If you are following the intensification of the SCS disputes, you may be interested in the paper @Christi43704822 and I published in @RSA_TPG: tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.108…

Read Jessica Liao and @Zenel25 on how China is suffocating Southeast Asian economies—and what regional leaders can do about it: foreignaffairs.com/china/china-sq…

In my latest with @Zenel25, we argue in @Diplomat_APAC that African countries have considerable agency and leverage when expanding digital infrastructure with external partners. Data governance and data sovereignty are central to @_AfricanUnion guidance and can’t be overlooked.

In our piece for @ForeignPolicy, Jessica Liao and I argue that Western tariffs didn’t slow the BRI, they helped transform it into a powerful tool of China’s industrial strategy: reshaping supply chains and deepening ties across the global south. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/03/chi…

How China Reinvented the BRI -- Jessica C. Liao and @Zenel25 @ForeignPolicy foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/03/chi…

In the @Diplomat_APAC , @Alex_J_Marino and I argue that China–Africa digital ties are too often reduced to “Digital Silk Road” narratives. In reality, African states are actively shaping outcomes and asserting their own digital sovereignty. thediplomat.com/2026/04/china-…

My latest for @east_asia_forum examines why Western analysts keep misreading China’s partnerships, especially as events in Venezuela and Iran unfold. eastasiaforum.org/2026/04/02/the…

I am delighted to share that Cambridge University Press has accepted the manuscript that Todd H. Hall and I prepared for publication in the Global China series of the Cambridge Elements. The work will be published in open access and will therefore be freely available to all.

The latest episode of the #Borderlands Podcast miniseries is out! Delighted to be joined by Selina Ho @selinalcho and Brian Eyler @aikunming to unpack how China's hydro hegemony is enacted in its borderlands, from cooperation to coercion. strategicspace.nbr.org/documenting-ch…

“For Southeast Asia, China’s economic influence demands a reckoning.” Read Jessica Liao and @Zenel25 on how regional leaders can “address the challenges stemming from their countries’ deepening economic integration” with Beijing: foreignaffairs.com/china/china-sq…

“If Southeast Asia’s leaders are to avoid economic stagnation and the upheaval that it fuels, they must put the region in a position where it can benefit from China’s economic expansion, not suffer under its weight,” argue Jessica Liao and @Zenel25. foreignaffairs.com/china/china-sq…

Political Economy Beyond Boundaries, with funding and support from @RIPEJournal, will be hosting two panels with early career scholars in IPE at the EISA conference in Lisbon, Sept 1-4, 2026. Please apply to PEBB section at EISA *and* email RIPEjournal(at)gmail(dot)com

NEW: Alex Stark, Caitlin McCulloch & I map out the paths to power for women leaders in the wake of crises and conflict in International Studies Review! academic.oup.com/isr/article/28…

The only thing OP should regret is misleading his followers with his clunky charts and sloppy, unsophisticated analysis. He has sadly ignored more tactful efforts to correct these issues, so enough is enough. Time to be blunt... Let's break it down in a long thread.🧵

The more I dig into the TFP calculation for China, the more issues I am unearthing: 1⃣ Calculating capital increase using fixed vs. variable depreciation (rising asset duration) 2⃣ Problematic GDP data from Penn World Tables (PWT) 3⃣ "All roads lead to Harry X. Wu"

In @warontherocks @Zenel25 & I argue that #Beijing may have strategic aims for port investments, but #SOE, provincial, & host-country goals & rivalries keep things complicated & far from guaranteed tinyurl.com/4ratufkz @NUSL #PRC #Sovereignty @GtownNatSec @perryworldhouse

About a year ago, ahead of "Two Sessions", I performed a deep dive into China's economic transition (away from real estate). Five years since "Three Red Lines", China is now entering the "late innings" of that transition. ▪️ Exogenous macro risks ↘️ ▪️ Real estate ↔️ and no longer a major headwind. ▪️ "Animal spirits" ↗️

"Interpreting China demands a mindset grounded in evidence rather than instinct. Healthy curiosity is important, but it must be paired with scepticism and an awareness of how easily compelling stories can lead us astray" lowyinstitute.org/the-interprete…

What are the best Chinese-language podcasts about politics and policymaking in China? Podcasts from inside and outside the mainland are must-listens for analysis, insight, and debate For @AsiaPolicy, @shuizaiping2 recommends 5 podcasts worth your time 🗂️Alphabetical order🧵

Happy to announce the publication of my second book! This time, I had the pleasure of working with @MohammedSudairi. Thanks to @thegulfblog for inviting us to contribute to the @CambridgeUP’s Elements in Middle East Politics series. OPEN ACCESS! 🔗 cambridge.org/core/elements/…