About Yue


hi,

Yue was visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh

Previous experiences

I achieved a Doctor of Philosophy in Politics and International Relations from the University of Edinburgh, an MPhil in International Relations from Fudan University, and a B.A. in International Politics from Sun Yat-sen University. I also studied as a visiting student at Taiwan Chengchi University (NCCU) and Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) for approximately six months.

My research covers international relations, cross-strait relations, international security, geopolitics, international law of the sea, maritime issues in East Asia, and theories of global politics. I have a particular interest in the interplay between power politics and international law in shaping maritime Asia in the 21st century. My PhD project examines issues related to the South China Sea and the transformation of regional order.

I have also conducted research on China’s Air Defence Identification Zone over the East China Sea, which involves the territorial disputes between China and Japan over the Diaoyu Islands, as well as Sino-Filipino international arbitration (2013-2016) concerning their disputes in the South China Sea. Additionally, I have studied cross-strait relations between Mainland China and Taiwan.

Forth Bridge, Edinburgh, Photography by Liu Yue

Chinese and English are my primary working languages. In recent years, I have been writing professional commentary on international relations for various journals and newspapers in both languages. Some of the publications where my work has appeared include The Paper (澎湃新闻), Global Times (环球时报 & 环球网), Liaowang Institute-Xinhua News Agency (新华社瞭望智库), World Vision Journal (《世界博览》杂志), CRI Online (中国国际广播网 – 国际在线), and China National Defence (《中国国防报》).

In addition to my academic and professional writings, I am also interested in composing other types of articles, including essays and novels. Some of my creative works have been published on social media.

As a social activist, I authored a political proposal in 2013 titled “Strengthen Policy Support for Attracting Taiwanese Students to Study in Mainland China” (《加大政策力度,吸引台湾学生求学大陆》). This proposal was adopted by the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, 中国人民政治协商会议).

I have gained valuable experience through internships at several organizations, including South China Daily (南方日报社), the International Student Office of Fudan University (复旦大学留学生办公室), and the Changzhou Association of Taiwanese Investing Entrepreneurs (常州市台湾同胞投资企业协会). In addition, I was a student correspondent at Sun Yat-sen University News Center (中山大学新闻中心) and Head of the Publicity Department of Sun Yat-sen University Youth (southern campus) (《中大青年》报社南校区宣传部长).

McEwan Hall, The University of Edinburgh, Photography by Liu Yue


Outlook

Aside from my interest in international relations, I am passionate about China’s development. I plan to conduct research on China’s historical reforms across various dynastic periods and its contemporary open and reform policies in economic, political, cultural, social, and diplomatic spheres, particularly since the early 2010s, which is called “the new era”. Studying history offers valuable insights, making it an effective way to address problems at present. Meanwhile, I will analyse these reforms within a global context by comparing them with reforms in other countries and regions, with a primary focus on Mainland China’s two most significant neighbours: Japan and Taiwan district. By expanding my study’s horizontal and vertical dimensions, I aim to draw wisdom from history and across the globe. This will facilitate a deeper understanding of different reforms in China, enhancing the explanation of their origins, processes, strengths, weaknesses, and impacts. Ultimately, it will help identify better pathways for the future.

This project on China’s reforms is one of the major research initiatives I will work on in the coming years. I firmly believe that social and political science research shall primarily aim at society and serve the public. Therefore, this study and its outcomes will be designed to reach as many social readers as possible, in addition to those in the academic field. I will use plain language instead of jargon that may confuse my readers. The stories presented, along with their analyses, are designed to engage and interest readers while also providing new knowledge and insights. Moreover, I will use my language capabilities to write in both Chinese and English to reach readers worldwide.

Sunset of Calton Hill, Edinburgh, Photography by Liu Yue

I manage a think-tank integrated media called “Science & Vision” (务虚实录), which interoperates through three platforms: a WeChat official account, a website, and an Instagram gallery, all under the same name. These platforms provide readers with informative and insightful content in various forms, including text and visual arts. On these platforms, I share links to my media publications, directing visitors to my articles published elsewhere with proper copyrights. In the future, I will post more of my newest research outcomes, including studies on China’s reforms and other intriguing topics. As a photography lover, I will also share more pieces of my artwork on these platforms and social networks.

Please stay tuned for my updates, and welcome to my multimedia kaleidoscope!