Xuejun Liu is a PhD candidate in the Department of Public and International Affairs at City University of Hong Kong, supported by the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. Her doctoral research focuses on China's subnational relations in Asia, China's foreign policy, and International Relations theory. She obtained her Master’s Degrees in Asian & European Affairs at King’s College London and Diplomacy at Renmin University of China, respectively. During her PhD, she conducted in-person fieldwork in China, Kyrgyzstan, and the Philippines for her doctoral thesis. She has presented her research at regional and international conferences, including those organized by the International Studies Association, the International Political Science Association, and the Association for Asian Studies, among others. Her articles on the Belt and Road Initiative, China-U.S. subnational diplomacy, and ASEAN-China relations have been published in Asian Affairs, China-US Focus, and South China Morning Post.