The 57th Youth Academic Workshop on International Studies of Fudan University (YAWIS Fudan) was held at the Center for Japanese Studies by the Institute of International Studies of Fudan University (IIS Fudan) on June 7, 2023. QI Huigao, Vice Dean of IIS Fudan, delivered the lecture on “Maritime Disputes between China and its Maritime Neighbors: Safeguarding Rights and Developing Relations.” Professor ZHAO Weihua, Director of the Center for China’s Relations with its Neighboring Countries of IIS Fudan, moderated the workshop. The 57th YAWIS Fudan was also a public debuting of Qi’s new book China’s Ocean Affairs with Its Maritime Neighbors. More than 30 faculty and students from the IIS Fudan, the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, the School of Law, the Institute for Chinese Historical Geography Studies, the Institute of Belt and Road & Global Governance and Fudan Development Institute participated in the 57th Youth Academic Workshop.

(The group photo of the 57th YAWIS Fudan)

Qi Huaigao shed light on the approach of how China safeguarded its maritime rights while developing friendly relations with maritime neighbors. Firstly, the common interests between China and its maritime neighbors far outweighed the differences. The maritime disputes should not be the main melody in the relationship between China and its maritime neighbors. Secondly, China adopted peaceful settlement as its basic approach in maritime disputes. While firmly safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, China actively carried out practical maritime cooperation with its maritime neighborsand resolved disputes through negotiations, demonstrating China’s path of peaceful development. Finally, China safeguarded its maritime rights and interests while properly managing differences, promoting the long-term and stable development of its relations with maritime neighbors.

(Prof. Qi Presented Research on “Maritime Disputes between China and its Maritime Neighbors: Safeguarding Rights and Developing Relations”)

QI Huigao proposed three ways to settle the maritime disputes between China and its maritime neighbors. The first way is to pave the path for negotiations on maritime boundary delimitation when conditions for delimitation were met, the second way is to promote joint development and marine fisheries management when conditions for delimitation were not met, and the third way is to manage Sino-U.S. maritime competition in the Western Pacific, considering that the Sino-U.S. sea power competition had become the main influencing factor in terms of China’s maritime security situation.

(The 57th YAWIS Fudan)

WANG Xiaojuan, Associate Senior Editor of World Affairs Press, shared her story with QI Huigao’s book China’s Ocean Affairs with Its Maritime Neighbors. Assisting the publication of this book in November 2022, she experienced the whole process of editing and publishing this book. WANG Xiaojuan believed that the book was a comprehensive interdisciplinary study of international relations, international law, history, geography and cartography. Furthermore, the book also balanced technicality and readability in content, as it contained 37 maps and 25 tables within.

(The front and back cover of China’s Ocean Affairs with Its Maritime Neighbors)

Professor TANG Yi, Dean of the College of Marine Culture and Law of Shanghai Ocean University, analyzed the book from the perspective of academic expertise, writing style and content, and made some comments in combination with his research on marine fisheries.

WANG Yong, Director of the Maritime Skills Training Center of Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration, based on his years of maritime practice, commented that the book reflects the author’s maritime feelings and rigorous scholarship, with clear historical context, pragmatic current situation analysis and reasonable future suggestions. 

WANG Guihua, professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Vice Dean of the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences of Fudan University, analyzed the book from the perspective of the study of the integration of interdisciplinary marine studies. He noted that the book had made valuable efforts to objectively analyze the maritime jurisdiction claims of China and its neighbors and promote multidisciplinary research methods.

(Questions and communications between faculty and students of the 57th YAWIS Fudan)

IIS Fudan held the 57th YAWIS to celebrate the 2023 World Oceans Day.

For more information on the Book China’s Ocean Affairs with Its Maritime Neighbors, please refer to the website, QI Huaigao, China’s Ocean Affairs with Its Maritime Neighbors.