Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand 
why the old poets of China went so far
and high 
into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

The UP Asian Center will be hosting two public lectures on Thursday, 4 May 2017, one on the South China Sea policy from the Chinese perspective at 10:00 am to 12:00 noon, and another one on ASEAN and Timor-Leste Relations at 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Both sets of lectures will be held at the Seminar Room, UP Asian Center, Quezon City. They are both free and open to the public, but seating is first-come, first-served and participants are encouraged to sign up.

ABOUT THE SOUTH CHINA SEA POLICY LECTURES

The South China Sea Policy lecture at 10:00 am to 12:00 noon will comprise of two presentations by Professors Zhou Fangyin and Chen Hanxi, "Between Assertiveness and Self-Restraint: Understanding China's South China Sea Policy" and "China's Security Vision for East Asia."

Since 2010, there has been obvious escalation of tensions in the South China Sea, coinciding with China's rise and the United States’ ‘pivot’ to Asia. Has China become more aggressive in its approach to the South China Sea? What strategic goal is China is pursuing in this area? Where does the South China Sea rank in China's overall foreign policy agenda? This article addresses these issues from the Chinese perspective. In the first part, the article discusses China's changing strategy and the leadership's thinking behind the changes. In the second part, it examines in detail several incidents involving China in the South China Sea, including confrontations with the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal and the Second Thomas Shoal and China's more recent land reclamation. The article argues that China's strategic goal in the South China Sea is a relatively modest one. The South China Sea disputes do not rank particularly highly among China's strategic priorities. To a great extent the handling of these issues is also subject to the dynamics of the overall relationship between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ABOUT THE ASEAN-TIMOR-LESTE RELATIONS LECTURE 

The lecture on ASEAN and Timor-Leste's Relations at 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm will be delivered by His Excellency Juvencio de Jesus Martins, Ambassador of Timor Leste to the Philippines.

H.E. de Jesus Martins will discuss different facets of ASEAN-Timor Leste relations in May 4’s lecture. “Although Timor-Leste is not a member of ASEAN,” says Mr. Janus Nolasco, Information Officer of the UP Asian Center, “it would be interesting to explore the dynamic between them, especially with Timor Leste’s long-standing aspiration to join the current ten-member organization. Timor Leste is the only Southeast Asian country that is not part of ASEAN, and its case offers a unique perspective to understand the dynamics of the regional organization. We look forward to hearing Ambassador’s thoughts on this and other issues.”  

VENUE And VICINITY MAP

Vehicles entering the UP Asian Center (GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center) grounds can only do so via the gate on Magsaysay Avenue that is near a UP guardhouse, a few meters away from Katipunan Avenue, and across Maynilad. A small gate for pedestrians on Guerrero St. lies across the College of Law parking lot and a few meters away from a waiting shed, where the Ikot jeepney, and jeepneys from Philcoa and SM North pass by. VIEW VICINITY MAP and GOOGLE STREET VIEW

INQUIRIES And ATTENDANCE

If you are planning to come with/as a big group (a class or delegation), please inform us the number of participants at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It would also be best if their names could be registered online or if you could send us a list of their names.

ENROLL: MA Programs: Asian Studies @ UP Asian Center 

The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences