Michael Cunningham is a Research Fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, where he focuses on China’s domestic politics and foreign policy.

Prior to relocating to Washington, D.C. in 2021, Michael spent over a decade in the Greater China region, where he advised multinational businesses on the political, operational, and security risks associated with their business activities in China and Northeast Asia. Michael obtained a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in international affairs from American University.

He has lived extensively in both mainland China and Taiwan and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese.