Claudio Christopher Passalacqua is a PhD student at the School of International Studies, University of Trento (Italy). His research focuses on EU politics, EU-China relations and the Belt and Road Initiative. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from John Cabot University and a Double Master Degree in International Relations from LUISS Guido Carli and China Foreign Affairs University. In addition, he has been a Schuman trainee at European Parliament, and an intern at the International Trade Center and the Italian Trade Agency, where he focused on international trade policies and small and medium enterprises.