Dr Alessandro Arduino

Dr Alessandro Arduino is a foremost expert on Chinese private security and the author of the reference book China’s Private Army.

He is an affiliate lecturer at the Lau China Institute, King’s College London, a member of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law (IIHL), and serves on the Advisory Group of the International Code of Conduct Association for private security companies (ICoCA).

Dr Arduino has held several positions, including China expert for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Consulate General in Shanghai, co-director of the Security and Crisis Management International Center at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), principal research fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS), and visiting professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute. He has also been a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins SAIS (CARI) and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (NTU Singapore).

Fluent in Italian, English, and Chinese Mandarin, Dr Arduino contributes regularly to leading publications such as Foreign Policy, South China Morning Post, The National Interest, War on the Rocks, The Diplomat, Think China SG, and La Stampa.

As an expert on the security implications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, particularly in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa, he has advised prominent international organisations including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the UN Development Program (UNDP), the European Union, OSCE, and NATO. His insights are frequently featured in top global media outlets including the Financial Times, New York Times, The Economist, BBC Worldwide, CNBC Live, and The Washington Post.

Dr Arduino has been awarded the title of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy by the President of the Italian Republic.