Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
“Scripts of Escalation and Restraint: State Messaging and Public Opinion in International Crises”
Forthcoming at International Journal of Press/Politics.
“Authoritarian Propaganda Campaigns on Foreign Affairs: Four Birds with One Stone”
with Andrew Chubb. International Studies Quarterly, Volume 67, Issue 3, September 2023.
Post-Print · Pre-Print (SSRN)
“Barking Without Biting: Understanding Chinese Media Campaigns During Foreign Policy Disputes”
Security Studies 2021, 30:4, 517-549.
Post-Print · Pre-Print (SSRN)
“Jawing through Crises: Chinese and Vietnamese Media Strategies in the South China Sea”
with Brantly Womack. Journal of Contemporary China 2019, 28:119, 712-728.
Post-Print · Pre-Print (SSRN)
Book Reviews
H-Diplo Article Review of Kosal Path. “The Politics of China’s Aid to North Vietnam during the Anti-American Resistance, 1965-1969,” Diplomacy & Statecraft, 27:4 (2016): 682-700.
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Working Papers
“Escalation from Below, De-escalation from Above: A Dual-Process Theory of Low-Intensity Conflict Behavior”
with Chen Wang.
This paper explains low-level conflict as the product of both central political control and frontline agency routines. Using weekly data on Chinese maritime patrols near the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, it shows how leaders curb costly escalation while local actors sustain routine pressure.
“Truth or Trust? The Effects of Nationalism on Disinformation Perception of Chinese Netizens”
with Zeying Wu.
This study asks whether nationalism shapes how Chinese netizens evaluate official disinformation. Drawing on focus groups and survey experiments, it shows how national identity and historical memory condition public responses to state narratives.
“Borrowing the Boat: The Effectiveness of China’s Outsourced Propaganda”
with Jay C. Kao.
This project studies whether pro-China narratives are more persuasive when delivered through local intermediaries rather than Chinese state media. A survey experiment tests how channel, content type, and sponsorship disclosure affect audience response.
“Racial Stereotypes toward Chinese and Foreign Policy Preference toward China”
with Boliang Zhu.
This paper examines the relationship between Americans’ racial stereotypes toward Chinese people and their foreign-policy preferences toward China. Two survey experiments test whether racial attitudes and China policy views reinforce one another.
“Curated Defiance: Moralized Authoritarianism and the Politics of People-First Legitimacy”
with Greg Chih-Hsin Sheen.
This project explains why authoritarian regimes tolerate popular stories of righteous rebellion. It argues that Chinese state media can use “curated defiance” to celebrate heroes who resist illegitimate authority while ultimately restoring moral and political order.
“Shared Regimes or Common Enemies? Ingroup Dynamics Among Authoritarian States”
with Jiyoung Ko.
This research examines how Chinese citizens perceive coalitions among authoritarian states such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. It asks whether perceived solidarity comes from shared regime type or from opposition to a common adversary.