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

Taiwan’s Regional Environment and Cross-Strait Relations | A Special Lecture

Details
The UP Asian Center will hold the special lecture "Taiwan’s Regional Environment and Cross-Strait Relations" on 2 April 2025, 2 PM, PHT (GMT+8), at the Seminar Room, UP Asian Center. The event is free and open to the public. 

ABOUT THE LECTURE

This Taiwan remains one of Asia’s most contentious flashpoints. Mainland China or the People’s Republic of China maintains that Taiwan or the Republic of China needs to be reunited with the Mainland peacefully or otherwise, while Taipei contends that they are not subordinated to Beijing. With the Civil War technically not yet over, China has ramped up its military posturing around the self-ruled island to unprecedented levels in recent years. Taiwan, on the other hand, has been doubling down on its preparation for worst-case scenarios. The return of US President Donald Trump to the White House has introduced a lot of uncertainty as to the durability and sustainability of US commitments in Asia. This forum aims to shed light on how Taiwan perceives its current security environment and the trajectory of cross-strait relations given the emerging developments. The Philippines’ proximity to Taiwan indicates how immediate the implications are for the Philippines in the event of a Taiwan contingency.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

CHIAHAO HSU, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Si Wan College, National Sun Yat-sen University
Dr. Chia-Hao Hsu is an Assistant Professor at Si-Wan College, National Sun Yat-sen University, specializing in Taiwan Studies, China Studies, International Relations, and the History of Western Political Thought. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from National Sun Yat-sen University (2008) and is involved in several research projects, particularly focusing on Tocqueville's ideas and their application in the Mandarin-speaking world. Hsu has received multiple research grants, including funding from Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council and Ministry of Science and Technology. He also serves as Deputy Director of the Taiwan Education Center in the Philippines and is the Program Director for the Human Rights Studies Integrated English Program at NSYSU. View his full profile.
TITUS CHEN, Ph.D.
Research Fellow and Deputy Director, Institute of International Relations, National Chengchi University
Dr. Titus Chen is a Research Fellow and Deputy Director at the Institute of International Relations (IIR) at National Chengchi University. His research primarily focuses on human rights, authoritarian regimes, and international relations, with an emphasis on China's political dynamics and foreign policy. Dr. Chen has authored several influential publications, including works on China's human rights governance and its responses to international normative pressures. His academic contributions have been published in prestigious journals, such as the British Journal of Politics and International Relations and Journal of Contemporary China. Dr. Chen holds a reputation for his deep expertise in Chinese politics and his active engagement in global policy discussions. View his full profile.
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.