Scholars from Home and Abroad Discuss International Cooperation on “Belt and Road”, Border and Sea

The Third International Forum on Boundary and Oceanic Research was held in Beijing on September 23. More than 120 experts, scholars and doctoral students from various countries attended the symposium and had exchanges on topics related to "International Cooperation on ‘Belt and Road’, Border and Sea".

The forum was jointly organized by the Collaborative Innovation Center for Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights, Wuhan University China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations and National Institute for South China Sea Studies.

The theme of this forum is "International Cooperation on ‘Belt and Road’, Border and Sea ", which covers six topics: “Belt and Road” and regional relations, “Belt and Road” and cross-border cooperation, polar governance and cooperation, post World War II and postwar new international order and border dispute, land boundary dispute and settlement, maritime dispute and settlement.

Professor Hu Dekun, Senior Professor of Humanities and Social Science of Wuhan University, Director of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights and Honorary Dean of the Wuhan University China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies, pointed out that the solution to the problem of border and maritime issues lies in cooperation, therefore promoting peace and friendship, cooperation and development, has important academic and practical significance.

Yang Li, Assistant to Dean of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, briefed the current situation in the South China Sea dispute, he believes that all parties concerned should communicate and settle disputes through direct negotiations and resolve disputes as much as possible through cooperation and understanding. China and ASEAN countries should maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea under the framework of the implementation of the Declaration, promote pragmatic cooperation among countries, and provide a sound environment for parties concerned to resolve the dispute.

Gerhard Hirschfield, former president of the International Second World War History Society from Germany, explained the importance of "transnational cooperation and initiative" in resolving transnational disputes in the new international situation. Fu Mengzi, Deputy Dean of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations elaborated the important role of "belt and road" initiative on the border cooperation and in solving border disputes from four aspects, namely “sense of the big picture”, "sense of cooperation", “sense of equality” and “sense of the rule of law”.

During the conference, Hu Dekun gave a speech entitled "The Overall Development of the World History and China’s ‘Belt and Road’ Initiative", and he systematically interpreted the historical rationality and epochal significance of the "Belt and Road" initiative. Dutton from the History Department of the University of Connecticut delivered a speech entitled "Reflections on the Japanese Territorial Disputes", and reviewed comprehensively Japanese territorial disputes.