Xiao Ma

I'm a Doctoral Researcher at the School of Humanities, University of Westminster. My PhD research aims to demonstrate the cultural complexities of London’s Chinatown through critically examining the notion and practice of Chinatown heritage in global London. Through analysing how different people create meanings about Chinatown, my research challenges the homogenising portrait of Chinatown as a bounded urban space defined by fixed ethnic differences.

Outside academic research, I worked as a journalist and wrote news stories on UK art, culture, education and business for a Chinese audience from 2013 to 2015. Between 2016 and 2024, I worked for China Exchange, a UK-registered charity, that aims to create opportunities for the UK general public to learn more about contemporary China, Chinese culture and London's Chinatown. I have also collaborated with the UK Web Archive, curating the 'Chinese in the UK' Special Collection and the 'East and Southeast Asians in the UK' Special Collection.

Xiao holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Media and Enterprises from the University of Warwick (2013) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art from SOAS University of London with distinction (2016).

For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.