Editor's Note
Filipino-American Ties Will Remain Strong, IF...
A Duterte administration may take a somewhat different approach to foreign policy and display a governance style unnerving to some, but like most other governments, its behavior will be defined by a more traditional factor: national interest.
Commentary
China's Rise And What It Means For The World
China's continuous climb to world power brought many questions into light - was becoming a world power a deliberate and planned undertaking and, most importantly, how will China behave as a world power? With regards to the first question, many hold the view that China's ascent to power is premeditated and long-planned, led by a single political party and a strong central government which is heavily involved not only in governance but also in the economy. Slogans like “renewal”, “revival” and “rejuvenation” seems to support this thesis. For centuries long before the rise of Europe and the US, China had already produced a great civilization and, through its tributary system, held a vast empire with numerous neighboring vassal kingdoms. Hence, from this vantage point, China's modern rise can be seen as inevitable – a reversal of the century of humiliation and from then continuing on with the quest to retake its pre-eminent world position in the hierarchy of nations. However, while there are those who welcome China's rise, there are those who find it discomforting and this can be largely attributed to different views on how the country will behave after it has restored its “Middle Kingdom” world status - after it had reclaimed its historic right or its own version of manifest destiny . China's failure to better articulate its position and variances between pronouncements it made and actions on the ground add to this anxiety and discomfort.
APPFI News
APPFI and UP Asian Center Cooperate on Hosting Top China Think Tank Delegation
Last April 14-17 2016, Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, Inc. supported the University of the Philippines Asian Center in hosting a delegation from the China Institutes for Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) – one of China’s most infuential think tanks in the field of Chinese foreign relations. The party was led by Professor Ji Zhiye, President of CICIR, and included four other analysts – Professors Li Li, Song Qingrun, Zhang Xuegang and Nie Huihui – all focusing on Southeast Asia and Oceania Studies. The goal of the delegation was to build deeper understanding of the Philippines and to foster cooperation through academic exchanges involving the two institutions.
Sino-Indonesian Cooperation on Maritime Silk Road discussed in Wuhan Conference
Dr. Tina S. Clemente, Associate Professor at the UP Asian Center and coordinator of the U.P. Center for Integrative and Development Studies' China/Strategic Studies program, was invited to participate in a conference on 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Sino-Indonesian Strategic Cooperation, which was held on 25-26 April 2016 at the Yifu International Conference Center, Central China Normal University (CCNU) in Wuhan, China. The conference was co-sponsored by CCNU and the China Society for Southeast Asian Studies (CSSAS) and co-organized by the Institute of Political Science (IPC) and the Indonesian Studies Center (ISC), both units of CCNU.
Nanyang Culture Festival and Forum Held in Xiamen
APPFI President Aileen Baviera was invited by Xiamen University to participate in the Fifth Nanyang Cultural Festival which was held from April 22 until 25, 2016. The Nanyang Festival is held every two years. This year’s co-organizers were the Consulates-General in Xiamen of the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, as well as the Xiamen Municipal Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. It consisted of a trade exhibit, a business matchmaking workshop, a film festival, food festivals, cultural show, a tourism carnival and an academic forum, all held in different venues in the “garden city” of Xiamen.
Baviera visits Singapore for seminars on regional security cooperation and competition
A seminar on Southeast Asian Perspectives on U.S.-China Competition was held at the Grand Hyatt in Singapore, April 3-5, 2016. Organized by the Lowy Institute of Australia and the US Council for Foreign Relations, the meeting discussed the future of regional trade and investment architecture, regional maritime issues, transnational security issues, and the future of ASEAN, zeroing in on the cooperation-competition dynamic in US-China relations and how ASEAN and its member states were responding to this.
Interview
The Silk Belt Road, 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Regional Connectivity: An Interview With APPFI Vice President Antoinette Raquiza
Dr. Antoinette R. Raquiza, APPFI vice president and associate professor at the University of the Philippines Asian Center, was interviewed by the Fudan Development Institute during the “Building the Belt and Road: Connection, Innovation and Sustainable Development: Dialogue and Silk Road Think Tank Association Conference,” held from 22 to 24 February 2016, in Shenzhen, China. The interview is featured below with permission from the FDI.
Friends and Partners
Profile: China Institutes for Contemporary International Relations
China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) is a comprehensive research institution for international studies. It was officially established in 1980, and was renamed in 2003. The organization mainly focuses on international strategy, international politics and economy, global and regional security, and the political, economic, diplomatic and social issues of major powers. Presently, CICIR consists of 11 institutes, two research divisions, eight research centers and several administrative departments. It has a staff of 380, among whom 150 are professors and associate professors.
Announcement
Upcoming Public Lecture on Domestic Stakeholders in Philippine Maritime Disputes: Impact and Influence on Foreign Policy
APPFI President Aileen S.P. Baviera will be holding a Public Lecture on “Domestic Stakeholders in Philippine Maritime Disputes: Impact and Influence on Foreign Policy” as a part of the UP President Edgardo J. Angara (PEJA) Lecture Series organized by UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) and UP Asian Center. It will be held on June 3, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium.
