Leland Lazarus serves as the Associate Director of Research at Florida International University, as well as the technical expert on China-Latin America relations. Previously, he was the Special Assistant and Speechwriter to two four-star Combatant Commanders of U.S. Southern Command. He’s also served as Deputy Public Affairs Officer at U.S. Embassy Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, and as Consular Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Shenyang, China. Before joining the U.S. government, Leland worked as an Associate Producer at China Central Television, and taught English Language as a Fulbright scholar in Panama. His articles and commentary have appeared on Sinica podcast, SupChina, TedX, The Diplomat, and The National Interest. Fluent in both Mandarin and Spanish, he hold an M.A. in U.S.-China Relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a B.A. in International Relations at Brown University.