Past Events
A Hotbed for Crises: Increasing Stakes and Growing Tensions in the South China Sea
Agenda
Welcoming words:
Assist. Prof. Dr. Kittisak Prokati, Faculty of Law, Thammasat University
Karl-Peter Schönfisch, Director, Laos/Thailand Office, Hanns
Seidel Foundation
Presentations:
Dr. Kevin Downey, Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University, Thailand
“Rule Breaking, Hegemony, and the South China Sea: Chinese Tactics of Position in the International Order”
Dr. Li Nan, East Asian Institute, National University Singapore, Singapore
“The PLA’s Southern Theater”
Lt. Gen. Bansho Koichiro, Advisor to National Security Council, Japan Ground Self Defense Force (Ret.) Former Commander, Southwest Army, Japan
“Japan’s Perspective on the SCS”
Dr. Jean Jonathan Bogais, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia
Panel Discussion:
H.E. Kasit Piromya, National Reform Steering Assembly Thailand
Lt. Gen. Bansho Koichiro, Advisor to National Security Council, Japan Ground Self Defense Force (Ret.) Former Commander, Southwest Army, Japan
Dr. Li Nan, East Asian Institute, National University Singapore, Singapore
Dr. Jean Jonathan Bogais, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia
Report
On 14 June 2017, together with the Hanns-Seidel Foundation, CPG once more organised an international seminar at Thammasat University (Tha Prachan), Faculty of Law in Bangkok on the ongoing disputes in the South and East China Sea. Under the title “A Hotbed for Crises: Increasing Stakes and Growing Tensions in the South China Sea” the seminar addressed the question of the prospects for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific in the light of the particular issues pertaining to claims and behaviours of the stakeholders in these troubled waters. The event brought together a respectable audience, including defence attachés and counsellors from a number of embassies and international organisations as well as five speakers from the United States, France, Singapore, Japan and Thailand to discuss the most pressing issues in both the South and East China Sea. The highly experienced and distinguished speakers we were able to invite to speak at this event were Dr. Kevin Downey, Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University, Dr. Li Nan, East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Bansho Koichiro, Advisor to National Security Council of Japan, Former Commander Southwest Army, Ground Self Defense Force Japan, Dr. Jean Jonathan Bogais, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia and H.E. Kasit Piromya, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and current National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) member.
The speakers presented their views on the current situation in the South and East China Sea before the audience had the opportunity to listen to and engage with the experts in a moderated panel discussion throughout the afternoon which was moderated by CPG Programme Officer Jan Kliem. The opening remarks were given by Mr. Karl Peter Schönfisch, Director Laos/Thailand Office, Hanns Seidel Foundation as well as Assist. Prof. Dr. Kittisak Prokati, Member of Supervisory Board, German- Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG), Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, who also delivered concluding remarks at the end of the seminar.
The presentations laid out detailed depictions of the situation on the ground which is constantly developing in the South and East China Sea and delved into assessments of China’s motivations and possibly greater strategy underpinning the PRC’s at times aggressive behaviour in its surrounding waters. The seminar also managed to shed light on the Japanese perspective as well as trigger a discussion on how the region ought to react to changing realities in the region’s most vital maritime sphere. All presentations and the extended panel discussion later on made the conference a highly participatory, informative and successful event. It was not only beneficial to lay out the ‘hard’ facts but also to elaborate on just how difficult it is to interpret what is happening given the rising stakes and varied interests involved in this hotbed for crises.
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