Wuhan University News Center (By Chen Lixia) - On May 5th, Former State Councilor and the President of the National Taiwan Research Association, Dai Bingguo, came to Wuhan University, and discussed with scholars from Wuhan University about current international situation that China is facing. He encouraged relevant research institutions to focus on China’s national strategy and provide more targeted intellectual support with higher quality.

Han Jin, the Secretary of the Party Committee of Wuhan University, and Hu Dekun, Senior Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences, attended this symposium. Shen Zhuanghai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Wuhan University, chaired this symposium. Sun Yafu, Vice President of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, and Li Jianhong, Director of the Hubei Provincial Office of Taiwan Affairs, joined the discussion.

At the symposium, Yu Minyou, Dean of the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies (CIBOS), gave a presentation about the development, researches and achievements of the Collaborative Innovation Center for Territorial Sovereignty and Maritime Rights (CICTSMR). CICTSMR as a core member has been devoted to researching on history and jurisprudence of the East China Sea and South China Sea dispute; dealing with the South China Sea Arbitration; as well as developing China’s national strategy of the Antarctic, etc. CICTSMR has also made great contribution in the drafting of China’s Deep Seabed Areas Law; Ocean Basic Law and National Land Border Law. CICTSMR has taken more than 140 research tasks, and written more than 120 consultation reports that have been adopted by relevant state departments. In 2014, CICTSMR was selected for the national “2011 Plan”.

Xiao Yongping, Director of the Wuhan University Institute of International Law (IIL), analyzed the new characteristics in the present international situation, and introduced the academic achievements that the IIL has made in recent years. The research field of IIL covers public international law, private international law, international economic law and certain dynamic fields like the United Nations Law, European Union Law and international energy law. The IIL was among the first 25 China Top Think Tanks, for its distinguished researching and teaching activities. The current research focuses of the IIL are the legal guarantee of the “Belt and Road” initiative, the Community of Shared Future for Mankind, as well as the theoretical innovation of Chinese international law, i.e. the institutional innovation of global commons like the outer space, the Antarctic, the cyberspace and deep seabed areas.

Prof. Hu Dekun, Prof. Qin Tianbao, Prof. Li Renzhen and Prof. Huang Zhixiong discussed the international situation with Dai Bingguo during the discussion session.

“One of your important characteristics is that you have provided our country with many important and useful things, no wonder you are top research institution and think tank.” After hearing the report, Dai Bingguo highly commended the two academic institutions on their contributions to the development of diplomacy and international law of China. He hope that top think tanks of Wuhan University could keep focusing on China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime sovereignty rights, the important practical issues of international law as well as the national strategic demand, thus to give intellectual contribution to the preservation of our national interest.

Dai Bingguo then visited the CIBOS and the Gallery of Wuhan University History with other participants.

(Rewritten by Yang Jingjie)

(Edited by Fu Shanshan)