Tonghua Li

Research

Title of research:

The High Politics of Trade: Discourse, Strategic Response, and Legitimation in the Trump Era

Brief overview of research topic:

I am currently pursuing a PhD in Politics at the University of York. My research focuses on the non-material dimensions of US–China competition, particularly the role of political narratives, ideas, and ideology in shaping political and economic relations. Drawing on constructivist and discourse-theoretical approaches, I examine how these factors shape the construction of interests, policy choices, and competing understandings of international order, with particular attention to international trade politics.

Alongside my research, I lead the Global China Studies Early Career Researcher Network (GCS), an international academic network connecting early-career scholars working on China and global affairs. The network brings together over 300 researchers worldwide and promotes academic exchange through international conferences, online seminars, and other activities.

Funding

CSC (China Scholarship Council) - University of York joint-funded PhD Scholarship

Research interests

Constructivism and Discourse Theory; Political Narratives, Ideas and Ideology; International Political Economy of Trade; US–China Relations; China’s International Politics

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Master of Science in International Relations (Distinction), University of Glasgow, UK
• Bachelor of Management in Agricultural & Forestry Economics Management, Yunnan Agricultural University (Co-operation Programme with New Zealand Lincoln University), China and New Zealand

Teaching

• Introduction to Global Politics (POL00015C), 2026–2027
• Global Challenges: From Theory to Practice (POL00012C), 2025–2026, 2026–2027
• Research Skills and Project Design (ENV00048I), 2025–2026
• Introduction to Comparative Politics (POL00013C), 2024–2025
• York Policy Lab (POL00016C), 2024–2025

Conference Presentations

Trade, Power, and Discursive Instability: Political Rationales in Trump’s Trade Policy

• ISA (International Studies Association) 67th Annual Convention Presentation, Columbus, Ohio, USA, Mar 22–25, 2026
• Central European University 21st Annual Doctoral Conference, Vienna, Austria, April 27–29, 2026
• BISA (British International Studies Association) 2026 Conference, Brighton, UK, Jun 3-5, 2026
• PSA (Political Studies Association)2026 American Politics Summer Conference Oxford, UK, Jun 25-26, 2026
• ECPR (European Consortium for Political Research) 2026 General Conference, Kraków, Poland, Sep 8–11, 2026

Global Growth and Domestic Stability: Discursive Contestation in China’s Food Security Governance During the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan

• BISA (British International Studies Association) 2026 Conference, Brighton, UK, Jun 3-5, 2026
• ECPR (European Consortium for Political Research) 2026 General Conference, Kraków, Poland, Sep 8–11, 2026

The Political Economy of Food Trade in the US-China Trade Dispute: Soybean and Biofuels Policy During Trump’s First Term

• PPE Society London Annual Conference, London, UK, Jul 17-18, 2025
• WRDTP Annual Conference 2025, Sheffield, UK, Jun 17, 2025

Power, Trade and Environmental Governance: The Water Politics of Transnational Governance in the Mekong River Basin

• Green Trade Lab 2025 Annual Workshop, York, UK, Jul 3-4, 2025

Food Security and Green Trade in the Shadow of Geopolitics – A Case Study of the US-China Trade Dispute 

• Green Trade Lab 2024 Annual Workshop, Leuven, Belgium, Jun 8-9, 2024