About Me

I am a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, advised by Professor Wonjae Hwang. I expect to graduate in May 2029 and will be on the job market in the 2028–2029 cycle.

I work at the intersection of cybersecurity, international relations, and international political economy. My current research agenda centers on how cyber competition reshapes interstate rivalry and global governance, with particular attention to China, the United States, and middle powers across regions. In particular, I study how states use cyber capabilities, information operations, and economic tools to pursue strategic objectives, and how these forms of competition, in turn, shape media narratives and public opinion. This dynamic has implications for national security, international cooperation, and global cybersecurity governance.

Research Interests

Cybersecurity · U.S.-China Relations · International Political Economy · Media · Public Opinion

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Personal Political Characteristics and Trust in State Media: A Case Study of China

Xin Tong · Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia · 2025

State Media · Personal Political Characteristics

“Who, if anyone, is more influenced by state media in China? While scholars have discussed people’s resilience and response to state apparatus under authoritarian systems, few studies have directly tested the relationship between personal political characteristics and trust in state media in China.”

Commentary

Linchpin for peace

Xianbai Ji and Xin Tong · China Daily · 2025

Geoeconomic Rivalry · Regional Cooperation

“Countries in the Asia-Pacific region are being pressed to take sides, despite their preference for strategic ambiguity.”

Working Papers

Shifting the Blame: China’s Framing Strategies and Public Support during Belt and Road Initiative Diplomatic Crises

Xin Tong

Under Review

Avoiding Alliances: China's Strategic Isolationism

Robert Keener and Xin Tong

Under Review

Teaching

Teaching Assistant, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

  • POLS 249: Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • POLS 102: Introduction to Political Science

Services

Journal Referee

  • Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia (JCEA)
  • Social Sciences & Humanities Open (SSHO)

Awards & Fellowships

Lawrence Durisch Research Fund Award

University of Tennessee, Knoxville · 2026

Graduate Student Senate Travel Award

University of Tennessee, Knoxville · 2025, 2026

Political Science Award for Best Conference Paper

University of Tennessee, Knoxville · 2025

Personal

Scenes Along the Way

I take great pleasure in traveling the world and gathering impressions from the places I visit. May you too find in these photographs and memories echoes of stillness and bustle, and of the fleeting beauty of moments once lived, and may they resonate with you as deeply as they do with me.