Richard J. Cook, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, China. His research interests include China-US Relations, International Relations of the Asia-Pacific, Hierarchy in International Relations and International Security.

Maximilian Ohle is a PhD Candidate at the Institute of Political Science, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany. His research interests include China-Russia Relations, Russian Foreign Policy, Territorial Integrity and Secessionism in the post-Soviet Space, Hierarchy in International Relations and International Security in East Asia.

Zhaoying Han, PhD, is a Professor at the Department of International Relations, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, China. His research interests include China-US Relations, Chinese Foreign Policy and International Relations Theory.