Research

My research engages in two major issues in international politics. First, I study the political origins of weapons. My ongoing research looks into why states acquire weapons in the way they do. Because weapons acquisitions inevitably involve foreign actors, my research posits that states are always bargaining for control over their weapons programs, which in turn form the bedrock of their security strategy. Therefore, states pursue national autonomy via adequate strategies for weapons acquisitions. Nonetheless, political and economic factors often distort such approaches. In the future, I plan to answer the following questions. Why could some states achieve defense industrialization? When do states engage in coproduction and codevelopment programs? How do weapons acquisitions affect interstate conflicts? 

Second, my past research and side projects address key geopolitical issues in the Indo-Pacific. The relations between the US, China, and Taiwan have been a critical theme of my research interests. My past research discusses issues such as US military commitment, gray zone coercion, China's territorial disputes, Cross-Strait relations, and public opinion in Taiwan. These articles combine perspectives from the strategic choice in international relations and social psychology. The overarching questions in this line of research are the following: Is a war between the US and China inevitable? If so, how? How do the foreign policy and domestic politics of regional powers affect the great power rivalry in the Indo-Pacific?

My research uses a wide range of methods, including social network analysis, regression analysis, public opinion surveys, interviews, and archives.