Geopolitics | China | Technology | Defence & Security

About

Dr William Matthews is a researcher and consultant specialising in China and the international order with a background in anthropology, geopolitical risk consultancy, and the defence AI sector. Based in the UK, he is a leading Mandarin-speaking expert on UK-China relations and the technological and security aspects of China's geopolitical influence.His research has directly informed UK and allied government and corporate decision-making through briefings, reports, and evidence to Parliament, as well as receiving widespread media coverage.William has designed and delivered impactful research projects in roles including Senior Research Fellow for China and the World at Chatham House, Director of Research at UK AI company Adarga and risk consultancy Evenstar, and as Fellow in the Anthropology of China at LSE. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from University College London, for which he conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in China.

Media

William writes regularly for outlets including The Critic, The Diplomat, Foreign Policy, The Interpreter, The National Interest, Nikkei, UnHerd and The World Today.

His research has been widely covered in the media and he is frequently quoted in outlets including ABC News, Al Jazeera, BBC News, Business Insider, Dagens Industri, Domino Theory, Fast Company, Foreign Policy, the Guardian, HuffPost, the i Paper, ITV News, L’Express, NBC, Nikkei, the Observer, Politico, Press Association, the Sun, the Daily Telegraph, Times Radio, the Toronto Star, UnHerd, and The World Today.

Research & Consulting

William is available for a wide range of consulting and research work for private and public-sector customers, including:

William brings a unique perspective to urgent questions of geopolitics, technology, and security. His background in anthropology and interdisciplinary social science brings a broad cross-cultural and historical lens to his work, while his experience in wargaming and expertise in culture and reasoning offers the strategic insight needed in an increasingly multipolar world.

William can advise on specific topics including:

Publications

William has published numerous policy-focused reports and scholarly articles of internationally-leading quality on topics including UK China policy, China's global geopolitical influence, macro supply chain risk, culture and decision-making, and military history.William is the author of the Great Changes Substack on the relationship between geopolitics, culture, and British national strategy, and of a monograph, Cosmic Coherence, on Chinese belief systems and cognitive anthropology.A full list of William's publications can be found here. Recent publications he has authored or co-authored include: