He received a BA in international finance from Nankai University, PRC and a PhD in international economics from Brandeis IBS. His research interests entail the economics of technological change and intellectual property rights in East Asian economies, particularly in relation to the Chinese economy. His current research focuses on technological innovation in Chinese industry, intellectual property rights and economic development, and the use of patent citations to trace international knowledge diffusion. He has also consulted for the Asian Development Bank, the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Bank.