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

Participants in the roundtable on 25 July 2016.


The faculty of the UP Asian Center held a roundtable on Philippines-China Relations with scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences last 25 July 2016, Seminar Room, Hall of Wisdom, Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman.

The roundtable covered the following topics:  

  • Political changes in the Philippines under the Duterte administration

  • Ideas and suggestions of China and the Philippines on the One Belt, One Road

  • Promotion of Sino-Philippines cooperation under the new Philippine government

  • Suggestions of China and the Philippines to resolve the South China Sea dispute

Moderating the roundtable was Professor Aileen Baviera of the UP Asian Center. Joining her was Associate Professors Rolando Talampas and Tina Clemente, and Dr. Henelito Sevilla, Jr.. Also part of the UP delegation were Prof. Jaime Naval of the Department of Political Science, and Associate Professor Herman Kraft, also from the Department of Political Science. 

The participants from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences were Professor Liping XU, Ph.D. and Fangye ZHOU, both from the National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; and Jing GUO, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Institute of Political Science, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences was established in May 1977 and serves “the premier academic organization and comprehensive research center of the People’s Republic of China in the fields of philosophy and social sciences.” View the CASS website (English). 


The UP Asian Center offers M.A. programs 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.