Grzegorz Stec's research focuses on EU-China relations, including their institutional framework, strategic discourse deployed by the two sides and the EU's common foreign policy building efforts. He also monitors Poland-China and wider Central and Eastern Europe-China relations.

Prior to joining MERICS, he founded the Brussels-based non-profit platform EU-China Hub and co-founded a Beijing-based consultancy company focused on impact of the Belt and Road Initiative. He has also worked as a contributor to Oxford Analytica.

Jacob Gunter is a Senior Analyst at MERICS. He covers China's political economy, industrial policy, innovation, self-reliance, decoupling, and examines how the EU can better economically compete with China in third markets.

Jacob brings ten years of experience in China to the role, including the most recent four years as the Lead Pen of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, where he served as the Senior Policy and Communications Manager.

Helena Legarda’s research focuses on China’s defense and foreign policies, including their domestic sources and drivers, and their geopolitical impact. Prior to joining MERICS she gained professional experience at the Delegation of the European Union to China and at research and advisory firm China Policy in Beijing.

His research focuses on Chinese society, its social stratification and its symbolic and political representations. He pays particular attention to the middle class, which has become one of the major themes of debate and public policy. Firstly through an analysis of the different definitions given to it by social groups (businessmen, intellectuals) and the Party. Secondly by analyzing the phenomena of identification with this social class that can be identified in social conflicts and cultural movements.