Prof Rex Li
Liverpool Screen School
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: R.Y.Li@ljmu.ac.uk
Professor Rex Li is Emeritus Professor of International Relations at Liverpool John Moores University. He is a Research Affiliate of School of Global Affairs and Lau China Institute at King's College London, University of London. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/rex-li
A specialist in international relations, security discourse and political communication, Rex holds a PhD from the University of Sheffield, UK. He worked as a correspondent and editor for several magazines and newspapers before joining the academia. He has also been a news commentator for the BBC World Service.
He has been Research Co-ordinator of Communication, Cultural and Media Studies at LJMU, leading and organising the REF2021 submission for this research area (UoA34). He has also been Postgraduate Research Co-ordinator of the Liverpool Screen School.
Rex has many years of experience in higher education, having taught and led courses in political science, international relations, and international journalism at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has been Programme Leader of MA International Journalism and MA International News Journalism at LJMU. He has also been an external examiner of the MA programmes for the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Leeds.
He has extensive experience in supervising and examining doctoral students. He has acted as a PhD external examiner for a number of universities, such as University of Lancaster, University of Newcastle, London School of Economics and Political Science, King's College London, University of Westminster, and Deakin University, Australia.
For many years, Rex has lectured regularly at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. He is a frequent participant and speaker at high-level meetings and international affairs think-tanks. He has acted as an advisor to the Searching for Peace Programme at the European Centre for Conflict Prevention. He has been a Research Associate of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Rex has been a co-organiser of the Pacific Rim Seminar Series funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). He has also been involved in a variety of international research projects in the UK and other countries.
Rex has been Director of the East Asian Security and Peace Project, which seeks to analyse the changing security dynamics in East Asia within the context of the global economic and strategic environment. Specifically, it considers the role of identity in shaping foreign policy discourse and security relations in East Asia. The project is supported by the Swedish foundation Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, East Asian Peace Programme at Uppsala University and Liverpool John Moores University. It involves collaboration among scholars and think-tank specialists in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the United States.
Rex has presented numerous papers at academic and policy conferences in Britain, Europe, Asia and the United States. He is a book reviewer for Times Higher Education and a referee/reviewer for a wide range of academic journals and publishers.
In 2017 Rex was appointed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as a Member of its Peer Review College. He has assessed grant applications for various funding schemes and programmes for the AHRC. He has also been invited to evaluate grant applications for the ESRC and other funding bodies.
More recently, Professor Rex Li has provided input into the UKRI’s funding scheme of ‘Research and innovation ideas to address Covid-19’. He has been invited by the AHRC and ESRC to assess Covid-19 funding applications and serve as a review panel member. In addition, he has been appointed as an expert member of the shortlisting and interview panel for the ESRC Policy Fellowships scheme co-funded by UK government host organisations.
Rex has served as an Associate Editor and editorial board member of Security Dialogue, an international refereed journal published by Peace Research Institute, Oslo/Sage, London.
His academic publications include three books, many book chapters and a range of peer-reviewed articles in Journal of Strategic Studies, Security Dialogue, Contemporary Politics, Journal of Contemporary China, Pacifica Review, Global Change, Peace & Security, Asian Perspective, The Asan Forum, Asia Pacific Business Review, The World Today, and elsewhere.
He is the author of A Rising China and Security in East Asia: Identity Construction and Security Discourse (London: Routledge, 2009). http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415449410/
One of his recent publications on US-China relations is “Contending Narratives of the International Order: US/Chinese Discursive Power and its Effects on the UK”, Asian Perspective (Johns Hopkins University Press, USA), Vol. 43, No. 2, 2019, pp. 349-385. ISSN: 0258-9184 https://muse.jhu.edu/article/725800
Highlighted publications
Li R. 2019. Contending Narratives of the International Order: US/Chinese Discursive Power and Its Effects on the UK Asian Perspective, 43 :349-385 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Li R. 2018. Identity Tensions and China-Japan-Korea Relations: Can Peace be Maintained in North East Asia? Clements KP. Identity, Trust, and Reconciliation in East Asia: Dealing with Painful History to Create a Peaceful Present :47-73 Palgrave Macmillan/Springer. Switzerland 9783319548975 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 2016. China’s Sea Power Aspirations and Strategic Behaviour in the South China Sea from the Theoretical Perspective of Identity Construction Fel E, Vu T. Power Politics in Asia’s Contested Waters: Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea :117-137 Springer. Switzerland 978-3319261508 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 2015. Great Power Identity, Security Imaginary and Military Transformation in China Pauline Eadie and Wyn Rees . The Evolution of Military Power in the West and Asia: Security Policy in the Post-Cold War Era :119-147 Routledge. Abingdon, OXON 978-1138886230 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 2013. Reporting International News in a Changing World: the Significance of International Relations in Journalism Education Journalism Education, 2 :6-33
Li R. 2013. National Identity and Changing Great Power Relations in the Asia-Pacific: Is a Cold War Emerging? The Asan Forum, 1 :1-17
Li R. 2009. A Rising China and Security in East Asia: Identity Construction and Security Discourse Routledge 9780415449403 DOI Publisher Url
Books (edited)
2020. Dynamic Asia: Business, Trade and Economic Development in Pacific Asia Li R. Routledge. London 9781138618381
Journal article
Li R. 2019. Contending Narratives of the International Order: US/Chinese Discursive Power and Its Effects on the UK Asian Perspective, 43 :349-385 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Li R. 2013. Reporting International News in a Changing World: the Significance of International Relations in Journalism Education Journalism Education, 2 :6-33
Li R. 2013. National Identity and Changing Great Power Relations in the Asia-Pacific: Is a Cold War Emerging? The Asan Forum, 1 :1-17
Li R. 2009. Asia, America, and the transformation of geopolitics International Affairs, 85 :1286-1287 Author Url
Li R. 2000. Accidents can happen The World Today, 56 :17-20 Author Url
Li R. 1999. Partners or rivals? Chinese perceptions of Japan's security strategy in the Asia-Pacific region Journal of Strategic Studies, 22 :1-25 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Li R. 1999. Interpreting history in Sino-Japanese relations: A case study in political decision-making. The Pacific Review, 12 :504-506 Author Url
Li R. 1999. The China challenge: theoretical perspectives and policy implications Journal of Contemporary China, 8 :443-476 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 1999. Unipolar aspirations in a multipolar reality: China’s perceptions of US ambitions and capabilities in the post-Cold war world Pacifica Review, 11 :115-149
Li R. 1998. China’s investment environment: the security dimension Asia Pacific Business Review, 4 :39-62 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 1997. China in transition: nationalism, regionalism and transnationalism Contemporary Politics, 3 :365-380 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 1996. The Taiwan strait crisis and the future of China-Taiwan relations Security Dialogue, 27 :449-458 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
LI R. 1995. China and Asia-Pacific security in the post-Cold war era Security Dialogue, 26 :331-344 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Chapters
Li R. 2018. Identity Tensions and China-Japan-Korea Relations: Can Peace be Maintained in North East Asia? Clements KP. Identity, Trust, and Reconciliation in East Asia: Dealing with Painful History to Create a Peaceful Present :47-73 Palgrave Macmillan/Springer. Switzerland 9783319548975 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 2016. China’s Sea Power Aspirations and Strategic Behaviour in the South China Sea from the Theoretical Perspective of Identity Construction Fel E, Vu T. Power Politics in Asia’s Contested Waters: Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea :117-137 Springer. Switzerland 978-3319261508 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 2015. Great Power Identity, Security Imaginary and Military Transformation in China Pauline Eadie and Wyn Rees . The Evolution of Military Power in the West and Asia: Security Policy in the Post-Cold War Era :119-147 Routledge. Abingdon, OXON 978-1138886230 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 2015. Identity Discourse and China’s Relations with the United States and Japan Mahendra G. Studies on China :256-273 Foreign Policy Research Centre. New Delhi 978-9383154234 Publisher Url
Li R. 2010. A Regional Partner or a Threatening Other? Chinese Discourse of Japan’s Changing Security Role in East Asia Dent CM. China, Japan and Regional Leadership in East Asia :101-128 Edward Elgar Publishing 978 1 84980 082 2
Li R. 2008. A Regional Partner or a Threatening Other? Chinese Discourse of Japan's Changing Security Role in East Asia Dent CM. China, Japan and Regional Leadership in East Asia :101-128 978-1-84720-749-4 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Li R. 2006. North-East Asia Buckley M, Singh R. The Bush Doctrine and the War on Terrorism: Global Responses, Global Consequences :75-88 Routledge 9780415368315 DOI Publisher Url
Li R. 2004. Security Challenge of an Ascendant China: Great Power Emergence and International Stability Zhao S. Chinese Foreign Policy :23-57 East Gate Book 9780765612854
Li R. 2004. China and Regional Security: External Perceptions and Responses Heijmans A, Simmonds N, Veen HVD. Searching for Peace in Asia Pacific :181-201 Lynne Rienner Pub 9781588262141
Li R. 2003. Changing China-Taiwan Relations and Asia-Pacific Regionalism: Economic Co-operation and Security Challenge Dent C. Asia-Pacific Economic and Security Cooperation :185-196 DOI Author Url
Li R. 2003. A Rising Power with Global Aspirations Fawn R, Buckley M. Global responses to terrorism: 9/11, Afghanistan and beyond :210-220 Routledge 9781134380497 DOI Publisher Url
Books (authored)
Cook I, Doel M, Li RYF, Wang Y. 2018. Preface :xiv-xv
Li R. 2009. A Rising China and Security in East Asia: Identity Construction and Security Discourse Routledge 9780415449403 DOI Publisher Url
Cook IG, Li R, Doel M, Wang Y. 1998. Dynamic Asia: Business, Trade and Economic Development in Pacific Asia Ashgate Publishing 9781859721964 DOI Publisher Url
Cook IG, Li R, Doel M, Wang Y. 1998. Dynamic Asia: Business, Trade and Economic Development in Pacific Asia Ashgate Publishing 9781859721964 DOI Publisher Url
Cook IG, Doel MA, Li R. 1996. Fragmented Asia: Regional Integration and National Disintegration in Pacific Asia 9781859721940
Cook IG, Doel MA, Li R. 1996. Fragmented Asia: Regional Integration and National Disintegration in Pacific Asia 9781859721940
Fellowships:
Research Affiliate, School of Global Affairs and Lau China Institute, King's College London, University of London. 2022
Research Associate, East Asian Peace Programme, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, Sweden. 2011
Research Grants Awarded:
Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (Swedish foundation) and East Asian Peace Programme, Uppsala University, East Asian Security and Peace Project, Grant value (£): £2.3 million in total with £45,000 coming in initially, Duration of research project: Six years. 2010
Editorial boards:
Security Dialogue, Member of Editorial Board, http://sdi.sagepub.com/. 2006