Philippe Le Corre

Philippe Le Corre serves as a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and held a fellow-in-residence position at CY Advanced Studies (CY Cergy Paris University) as of 2020. His work centers on Sino-European geopolitical dynamics and China's global economic strategies.

Le Corre's research examines China's evolving relationship with the European Union through the lens of economic statecraft, analyzing how Chinese state-owned enterprises expanded their European footprint post-2008 financial crisis and navigated the complexities of the Belt and Road Initiative. His scholarship highlights the tension between Chinese strategic investments in European infrastructure and the EU's growing perception of China as both an economic partner and 'systemic rival,' with particular focus on soft power competition and fragmented European responses to Chinese engagement strategies across member states.

His work demonstrates consistent analysis of European institutional responses to Chinese economic statecraft, tracking shifts from initial optimism about Chinese liberalization to contemporary strategic competition frameworks. Le Corre's research trajectory reveals deepening scrutiny of China's 'community of friends' strategy in Europe and the geopolitical implications of Chinese harbor acquisitions like Piraeus.