Wang Gungwu is University Professor at the National University of Singapore, where he is also Chairman of the East Asian Institute. He is also Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, Canberra. He was Vice-Chancellor of The University of Hong Kong from 1986 to 1995. His research interests focus on Chinese history, the Chinese overseas, nationalism and migrations; and he is the author of numerous books and articles.

Zheng Yongnian is Professor and Director of Research, China Policy Institute, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Nottingham. He researches on China's domestic transformation and its external impact. He has written numerous books, including Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China (1999), Globalization and State Transformation in China (2004), Will China Become Democratic? (2004) and Technological Empowerment: The Internet, State and Society in China (2007).