Sophie Wushuang Yi is a Ph.D. Candidate in Chinese Studies Research (International Relations) at King’s College London. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international politics and security Studies from the University of Sheffield and has pursued graduate studies in Economics at SOAS and China in Comparative Perspectives (International Relations) at LSE. Her research focuses on China’s naval force posture in the South China Sea from a defensive realist perspective, contributing to a deeper understanding of China’s role in international relations. From 2021 to 2023, she worked as an Economist Assistant at the UN Resident Coordinator Office in China, and has also worked in think tanks as Research Fellow.