Seminar: The Outlook for India-China and Vietnam-China Relations

The rise of China and India provides many economic opportunities for Asia. Also new trade and infrastructure initiatives such as the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and China’s own One Belt One Road (OBOR), are opening up new avenues for regional economic prosperity. Yet the countries of the region can fully avail themselves of these opportunities only if the region is free of tension and conflict. This seminar will focus on two key relationships which remain problematic, namely the India-China and the Vietnam-China relationships, despite cooperation in various areas.

Three eminent speakers will discuss the relevant concerns and issues and the prospects for their resolution or peaceful management.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Pan Zhenqiang has a deep understanding of China’s strategic outlook and relations with other countries. Major General (Retired) Pan is currently Senior Adviser to China Reform Forum (CRF). He is also Director of Research Institute for Strategy and Management of the Central University of Finance and Economics in China; and adviser to the College of Defense Studies, National Defense University, PLA, China among other responsibilities. General Pan joined the PLA in 1963, and served in the Department of the General Staff for over two decades. After 1986, he was research fellow, deputy director, and director at the Institute of Strategic Studies of the National Defense University (NDU) until his retirement in August 2001. General Pan has been research fellow at a number of US universities, including the U.S. National Defense University (1987), Stanford University (1988-1989), Harvard University (1999 and 2000 respectively), and University of Georgia (2014). He is Member of the Council of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs.

Srikanth Kondapalli, Professor in Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), is a top Indian expert on China. Educated in Chinese studies in India and China with a Ph.D. in Chinese Studies, he was Chairman of the Centre for East Asian Studies, SIS, JNU twice from 2008 to 2010 and 2012 to 2014. He was a Visiting Professor at National Chengchi University, Taipei in 2004, a Visiting Fellow at China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Beijing in May 2007, an Honorary Professor at Shandong University, Jinan in 2009, 2011 and 2013 and at Jilin University, Changchun in 2014 and a Fellow at Salzburg Global Seminar in 2010. He has written two books (China’s Military: The PLA in Transition in 1999 & China’s Naval Power in 2001), co-edited three volumes (Asian Security & China in 2004; China and its Neighbours in 2010 & China’s Military and India in 2012) and is the author of a number of articles in journals and edited volumes – all on China. He received the K.Subramanyam Award in 2010 for Excellence in Research in Strategic and Security Studies.

Nguyễn Ngọc Trường is President of Center for Strategic Studies and International Development (CSSD) in Vietnam, a position he has held since 2014. Ambassador Trường was previously Editor-in-Chief of the Magazine of International Affairs (1989-1996), Ambassador to Mexico, Peru, and Panama (1996-1999), Director of Department for Diplomatic Studies (MOFA) (1999-2002), and Ambassador to Sweden and Finland (2002-2006). His publications, in Vietnamese, include The World at Crisis (2009), On South China Sea (2015), and co-authored publications, Vietnamese Diplomacy 1945-2000 (2001), and Ho Chi Minh Diplomacy (2002). Ambassador Trường was educated at the Institute of International Relations, Vietnam, and Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Russia.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Dipankar Banerjee was Visiting Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He retired from the Indian Army as Major-General after 36 years of active service in August 1996. Before retiring he commanded an Infantry Division in Jammu & Kashmir at critical periods in the conflict. Over the last 27 years, he was involved with strategic planning at the national level. He was a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi from 1987-1990 and later its Deputy Director from 1992-96. Subsequently he was the founder and Co-Director of the think tank the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi from 1996 to 1999. From May 1999-2002 he was the Executive Director of the Colombo based think tank, Regional Centre for Strategic Studies. He next spent a year as a Jennings Randolph Fellow at the US Institute of Peace, Washington, DC before reverting as the Director and Head of the IPCS.

Banerjee’s special areas of research interest are, India-China and India-Pak relations, confidence building measures, border security, China’s security and foreign policies, issues related to Indian security and disarmament, human security issues and security sector reforms.

REGISTRATION

For registration, please fill in this form and email to iseasevents2@iseas.edu.sg by 18 January 2016.