On December 27, East Asian Situation and China-Japan Relations Seminar, and The "Belt and Road" East Asia Exchange and Cooperation Seminar, co-sponsored by Shanghai Academy, Shanghai Institute for Public Relation Studies, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, and the Global Security Cooperation Center of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, was held at Beida Building of Shanghai University. Wen Xueguo, Executive Vice President of Shanghai Academy, met the visiting scholars. Eiichi Katahara, Special Research Officer of the National Institute for Defense Studies of Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Lee Chul Nam, senior research fellow of the Japan Institute of International Affairs, Haruko Satoh, Professor of Osaka University, Hwang Jaeho, Professor of the Global Security Cooperation Center of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Jo Yanghyeon, Professor of the Diplomatic Security Research Institute of South Korea National Diplomatic Academy, John Chuan-tiong, associate research fellow of Academia Sinica of Taiwan, Zheng Hailin, Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, Xiu Bin, Director of the Research Institute of Japanese Affairs of Ocean University of China, Wang Xiaopeng, research fellow of the Research Center for South China Sea of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Wu Simin, professor of the Research Institute of Japanese Affairs of Ocean University of China, Zhang Liqun, Director of the Exchange Center of Shanghai Institute for Public Relation Studies, Fu Houjun, assistant to the President of Shanghai Institute for Public Relation Studies, Zhu Cheng, Director of the Cooperation Division of Shanghai Academy, and Zhao Xueyan, Project Manager of the Cooperation Division, attended the meeting. The meeting was chaired by Li Chunguang, Deputy Director of the Cooperation Division.

Wen Xueguo made a speech on behalf of Shanghai Academy. He introduced that, Shanghai Academy is a think tank jointly established by CASS and Shanghai Municipal People’s Government. By leveraging the resource advantages of CASS, and from the perspective of “Shanghai, from the outside looking in”, Shanghai Academy pools wisdom and takes measures to serve the city’s innovation and progress. In the meantime, Shanghai Academy has actively focused on domestic and international affairs; and international relations, international politics and diplomatic relations are also key research fields. At present, Shanghai Academy is making efforts to build a high-end think tank, high-end talent training base, high-end international exchange and cooperation platform, and a high-end national conditions research base. This meeting is of important significance for building Shanghai Academy into a high-end international exchange and cooperation platform. He hoped we can organize regular exchange activities in the future and jointly hold international meetings of positive significance.

The seminar was divided into the morning and afternoon sessions with the themes being “East Asian Situation and China-Japan Relations”, and “China-Japan Relations and the Belt and Road Cooperation Mechanism”, respectively. The morning session was hosted by Professor Hwang Jaeho, and Jo Yanghyeon, Lee Chul Nam, Hwang Jaeho, and Wang Xiaopeng gave successive speeches. According to Jo Yanghyeon, in the future the development of Japan-South Korea relations must face up to the Japan-South Korea historical issue and security issue. The historical issue is a challenge for both countries, while the security issue is an opportunity factor. How the two governments handle the two issues is the key to the future development of bilateral relations. Lee Chul Nam believes that to treat the Korean Peninsula issue, it is necessary to clearly understand what the ultimate goal of the DPRK is and what is the bottom line of the gray zone established by the United States, carefully look at the relations between the two countries and take preventive measures. According to Hwang Jaeho, under the new normal, China and South Korea would maintain the China-South Korea strategic partnership; he hoped that both countries would keep their original intention in mind, make concerted efforts to reach a new type of China-South Korea relations in the new era, and show the world a new type of major-power relations and a new type of inter-party relations. Wang Xiaopeng considered that the current maritime situations in East Asia are generally stable, but there is also a large degree of uncertainty. He proposed the future prospect of maritime cooperation at three levels, namely low-sensitive areas, medium-sensitive areas and high-sensitive areas, and gave a detailed explanation on the cooperation in the three fields.

The afternoon session was presided over by Professor Zheng Hailin and highlighted by wonderful discussions. Eiichi Katahara, Haruko Satoh, John Chuan-tiong, Lee Chul Nam and Xiu Bin delivered speeches in succession. Eiichi Katahara pointed out that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of China-Japan diplomatic ties, and China-Japan relations have ascended to a new level. Meanwhile, the next year witnesses the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-South Korea partnership agreement. In this context and with the increasing intensification of the North Korea issue, it is of great significance to convene a China-Japan-South Korea cooperation conference. According to Haruko Satoh, we must work together to solve the territorial issue, historical issue and issue of the U.S., in order to properly handle China-Japan-South Korea relations. In the new era, China, Japan and South Korea should strive to dominate their right of speech and control their own destiny. John Chuan-tiong elaborated on the “structural reasons for China-Japan conflict with the rise of China”, and shared recent research achievements and thoughts. After Lee Chul Nam expounded his understanding of the concept of Indian Pacific, he put forward some ideas about the cooperation mechanism between China and Japan within the framework of the “Belt and Road” Initiative. Xiu Bin pointed out that in terms of the "Belt and Road" initiative, Japan attaches great importance to the transparency of the rules and the mutual trust between the two countries. He hoped that the two countries could find a breakthrough to strengthen cooperation and promote peace throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

All participants made frank and in-depth exchanges and discussions about the questions raised by scholars, and obtained fruitful achievements.

(By Xie Nini, photo by Xiang Jinmei)