His research falls broadly in the area of international and comparative political economy with a focus on China. His work has appeared in Asian Survey, Chinese Journal of International Politics, Foreign Policy Analysis as well as edited volumes. A native of Shanghai, China, Xiaojun holds a Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University, an M.A in political science and an M.S. in statistics from the University of Georgia, and a B.A. in English and international studies from China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing.