Foreign Policy and Public in the Context of China: An Exploration of Mutual Influence

This topic is the ongoing MPhil thesis topic.

Young Chinese Perspectives on China and the Globe

My ongoing MPhil thesis project examines how China’s “Noughties generation (00后)” perceives the nation’s regional and global roles, employing survey experiments and in-depth interviews to analyse their views on China’s position in Asia and internationally.

I intend to use this research to understand: 1) How does the Noughties generation (gen born after the 2000s) view China on the global stage (situation and role)?; 2) What are the similarities and differences in their views between the Chinese Noughties generation and the larger general age groups, and what might explain these differences?

Global Governance and the Global Leadership of Great Powers

My another ongoing research intends to delve into leadership dynamics during power transitions and the resultant patterns of conflict and cooperation, building upon my published work authored with Professor Selçuk Çolakoğlu on G2 leadership dynamics during the pandemic. You can access the previous research (a book chapter) here.

Public Engagement in Global Affairs

There is a significant disconnect between the public, academics, and policymakers. First, citizens, as voters, sometimes lacking sufficient knowledge to analyze, are often moulded into passive recipients of ideology by policymakers and the interests behind them. Attacks on expertise generated by increased social and political polarisation further marginalise opportunities for the public voice in dialogues. Second, scholars lack the motivation to focus on public engagement and deliver correct and transparent information. Educational institutions underestimate the crucial role of public engagement in tenure and promotion criteria, thus discouraging scholars from prioritizing public outreach.

Scholars are the most powerful medium for increasing democratic engagement and ensuring that the public voice is integral to the decision-making process to address global challenges more equitably and effectively. Academic institutions should modify tenure and promotion criteria to encourage scholars to focus on public engagement through, i.e., new media platforms to disseminate knowledge, critically evaluate and disclose ideological biases, counter misinformation, and interact with diverse audiences. In addition, several public speaking and interactive platforms will better help to demystify complex global issues and equip the public to understand and analyse them scientifically.

This research is collaborative work with Ms Liang Xinyue (BA MA, NYU; PhD Student, CUHK). This research will be presented in the International Studies Association 2025 Convention (Chicago, IL, US).

Chinese Foreign Policies in Turbulent Times

In the coming year, I plan to analyse China’s foreign policy responses to contemporary challenges, such as domestic economic pressures and the perceptions of Western nations viewing China as a strategic rival. This is especially pertinent as China navigates an increasingly complex post-2025 international landscape.

COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Global Impact

From 2019 to 2022, the world experienced an unprecedented four-year global pandemic following the SARS outbreak. During this time, many aspects of life changed, including economic, political, and cultural dimensions. In 2023, I collaborated with a research team led by Professor Simon Xiaobin Zhao as a contributor, co-author, and research assistant. Specifically, I co-authored two book chapters and one journal article—currently under the third round of review at the Journal of Contemporary China—with Professor Selçuk Çolakoğlu, Mister Chen Jiawei, and Dr. Yan Bo. Here are the details of the two book chapters I co-authored with the team:

Some of the most compelling topics in International Relations include Chinese foreign policy, the power transition between China and the United States, and China’s rise over the past two decades. This particularly encompasses debates surrounding the Kindleberger Trap and the performance of the G2 during the pandemic. Chaofan, in collaboration with Professor Selçuk Çolakoğlu and Mr. Chen Jiawei, has published a chapter on a related topic regarding the pandemic period’s G2 leadership in a book by Springer Nature. Check the chapter here.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has launched a series of strict policies to control the pandemic and society. Frank’s research in the past two years focuses on the state theory and institutionalist/organisational perspectives to explain Chinese pandemic control policy with its political entity type and regime. One chapter on comparative studies on the Political Rationales of China’s Zero-COVID policy and the UK’s practice of “Live with COVID” policy has been published in a Springer Nature-published book. Check more here.