Chen Wang is a Ph.D. candidate in International Relations at the University of Virginia. His work has focused on leaders in international politics, terrorism and political violence, the role of diminishing assets (e.g. rare-earth elements) in international bargaining, information manipulation in authoritarian regimes, and China’s foreign policy. His dissertation, Educating the Newcomer: Leadership Turnovers and International Crises, explores the conditions under which leadership turnovers tend to increase the risk of interstate conflicts. He is currently completing a book manuscript, tentatively titled as Absolutely No Mercy: Terrorism and Counterterrorism in China, which introduces the context behind political violence in Xinjiang, examines how competing priorities facing the Chinese government shape its responses to the issue at home and abroad, and assesses the broader implications for regional relations and U.S. foreign policies.