Matej Šimalčík is a MapInfluenCE analyst in Slovakia on China, member of China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE) and the Executive Director of the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS), a think-tank based in Bratislava, Slovakia.

In his research, Matej focuses on Sino-European relations, Chinese influence operations in Europe, and the interplay between local corruption networks and Chinese interests. In the past, he also focused on Chinese strategic culture and security relations in the East Asian region. Matej has a background in Law (Masaryk University, Czech Republic) and International Relations with a focus on East Asian Studies (the University of Groningen, the Netherlands). He is also actively practicing law in Slovakia. Previously, he was a legal counsel to the Slovak branch of Transparency International.