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

Vietnam’s Strategy: Power Rivalry, China’s Diplomacy, and Economic Relations | A Webinar

Details
The UP Asian Center in partnership with the UP Department of Political Science will be holding the webinar, "Vietnam’s Strategy: Power Rivalry, China’s Diplomacy, and Economic Relations" on 1 August 2024, 10:00 AM, PHT (GMT+8), via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public but signing in to a (free) Zoom account is required.

ABOUT THE LECTURES AND SPEAKERS

Vietnam: Navigating between Great Powers

Vietnam is situated at the heart of Southeast Asia, and at the same time on the southern doorstep of China. It also straddles strategic South China Sea waterways. This tyranny of geography poses a challenge to Vietnam to defend its sovereignty while steering out of great powers' rivalry. This presentation discusses Vietnam's strategy to navigate geopolitical shifts in the region to maintain peace and, at the same time, defend its sovereignty and legitimate interests.  
DO THANH HAI, Ph.D.
East Sea Institute, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam
Dr. Do Thanh Hai holds a doctoral degree in Political Science, International Relations, and Strategic Studies from the Australian National University, where he was also given the Prime Minister’s Australian Endeavour Award. His book Vietnam and the South China Sea: Politics, Security and Legality was published in 2017. Currently, Dr. Do Thanh Hai is a senior fellow and serves as the deputy director general at the East Sea Institute, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. He also served as the Minister Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Vietnam in India in 2020-2023.

China’s Neighborhood Diplomacy in Southeast Asia: The Cases of Vietnam and Indonesia

Since Xi Jinping took office in 2013, China has regarded Southeast Asian countries as an important part of its peripheral diplomacy, playing a key role in China's overall diplomatic agenda. The former is predicated on “the neighborhood as the priority.” Therefore, Southeast Asian countries are vital partners for China in developing and implementing its peripheral diplomacy of "amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness." The presentation focuses on Vietnam and Indonesia as top priorities of China's approach to its neighbors.
VU QUY SON, Ph.D.
Institute of Chinese Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
Dr. Vu Quy Son obtained his Ph.D. degree from the Graduate Institute of East Asia Studies, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. His research interests focus on China’s foreign policy, China’s Belt and Road initiative, the relations of China and Southeast Asia countries, as well as Vietnam-China relations. At present, he is a research fellow at the Institute of China Studies—Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.

Evaluating Vietnam-China Economic Relations

Economic cooperation between Vietnam and China has achieved many achievements. China has become Vietnam's largest trading partner for many years. Currently, China is the largest import market and the second largest export market of Vietnam. On the other hand, Vietnam has also been China's largest trading partner in ASEAN since 2016. The presentation focuses on evaluating and analyzing economic relations between Vietnam and China from 2013 to 2023. I evaluate and analyze economic relations between Vietnam and China in the context of global, regional, and each country's economic changes. I end with suggestions on promoting a more balanced bilateral economic cooperation in the coming years.
HA THI HONG VAN, Ph.D.
Vietnam Institute of Economics, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
Dr. Ha Thi Hong Van obtained her doctorate in Economics from the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences in 2016. She is the Head of the Department of Socio-Economic Research of China (Institute of Chinese Studies), Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. Her study interests include Chinaʼs economic reforms and China-Vietnam economic relations.

ABOUT THE REACTOR

AARON JED RABENA, Ph.D.
Professorial Lecturer, UP Asian Center
Dr. Aaron Jed Rabena is a professorial lecturer at the Asian Center of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and a non-resident fellow at the Pacific Forum in Hawaii. He had served as an adviser at the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) and a Visiting Fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, China Foreign Affairs University, and ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. Dr. Rabena obtained his Ph.D. in International Relations from Shandong University in China. His research interests include strategic studies, Greater East Asian Geopolitics and Multilateral Politics, Political Risk, and Chinese Politics and Foreign Policy. See his profile.

THE ORGANIZERS

This lecture is organized by the UP Asian Center and the Department of Political Science, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy of the University of the Philippines Diliman. 
For inquiries, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 891-8500 loc. 3586.
The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The UP Asian 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. It also 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. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. As an area studies institution, the Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website.