John Seaman is a Research Fellow at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), which he joined in 2009. He conducts policy-oriented research and analysis on geopolitics and political economy in East Asia, focusing primarily on China’s economic and foreign policies and its relations with Europe and the United States. His specialties include policy issues related to energy, technology, and natural resources and the intersection between these three, notably in the field of critical raw materials (including rare earth elements).
Seaman is actively involved in a number of European research consortia, including as a co-founding and coordinating member of the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC). He holds a Master’s in International Affairs and International Security from Sciences Po, Paris and a Bachelor of Arts in International Economics from Seattle University, and he studied as a NSEP David L. Boren Scholar at the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies (2002-2003). He has also been a visiting researcher and an International Research Fellow with the Energy and Environment Program of the Canon Institute for Global Studies (CIGS) in Tokyo.