[Seminar] "Maritime Silk Road" and International Relations in the South China Sea: Current Status and Prospects

Since China launched its "Belt and Road Initiative" and "Maritime Silk Road" strategies in 2013, international relations in the South China Sea have become increasingly complex.In terms of politicsChina is strengthening bilateral cooperation with individual ASEAN member states in an attempt to undermine the bloc's sense of community.EconomicallyChina actively campaigned to establish the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to compete with existing international financial and banking systems such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which are heavily influenced by the US and Western countries.Regarding territory and territorial waters.China is aggressively intensifying the reclamation of reefs and coral formations to build artificial islands and military bases in the Spratly Islands.Regarding cultureChina continuously propagates its "sovereignty" over the South China Sea, promoting its maritime boundaries with the "nine-dash line," and especially investing heavily in oceanographic archaeology to "map" underwater archaeological sites, even though these sites are entirely outside China's territorial waters. China's "Maritime Silk Road" strategy has made international relations in the South China Sea increasingly complex. To date, numerous tensions and the risk of direct military conflict have arisen. Therefore, studying China's "Maritime Silk Road" strategy and the current state of international relations in the South China Sea is of great scientific and practical significance, making a practical contribution to the current struggle to protect the sacred sovereignty of our nation's maritime territories.

With the support of the Konrad Andenauer Stiftung (KAS) Foundation, Federal Republic of Germany, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, plans to organize the following conference:"The Maritime Silk Road" and international relations in the South China Sea: Current status and prospects.This is a scientific forum for domestic and international researchers, analysts, and strategists to exchange new research content, updated perspectives, and propose appropriate solutions for resolving current disputes in the South China Sea. Experts attending the conference will include scientists from China, India, Japan, the Philippines, the United States, and Vietnam, focusing on: China's "Maritime Silk Road" strategy; the history and current state of international relations in the South China Sea; and forecasts of future trends in South China Sea relations.

Time:November 26-27, 2015 (Thursday and Friday)

Location:Hilton Hotel, Hanoi