On February 23, 2022, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) of Tsinghua University held the 28th Security and Strategy Seminar entitled “China’s Relations with Its Neighbors: Situation and Perspectives,” with CISS Director DA Wei and Fellow AN Gang as moderators of the first and second sessions of the event respectively. The meeting brought together more than 20 participants including CISS academic members, fellows, and invited experts.

Among the participants were CHEN Xiaogong, CISS Academic Member and China Forum Expert; ZHANG Baijia, former Deputy Director, Party History Research Center of the CPC Central Committee; YANG Bojiang, Director, Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS); YANG Cheng, Executive Director, Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies; FAN Jishe, CISS Fellow and Professor, Institute for International Strategic Studies, Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance); LI Li, Senior Research Professor, Institute of International Relations, Tsinghua University; FENG Yujun, Vice President, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University; WU Huaizhong, Deputy Director, Institute of Japanese Studies, CASS; LIN Minwang, Research Expert, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University; LIU Tiancong, Deputy Director, Center for Korean Peninsula Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations; ZHANG Jie, Researcher, National Institute of International Strategy, CASS; ZHAO Minghao, CISS Fellow and Researcher, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University; LI Yonghui, Researcher, Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies, CASS; ZHOU Bo, CISS Fellow; HU Bo, CISS Fellow and Director, Center for Maritime Strategy Studies, Peking University; XIAO Qian, CISS Deputy Director; YAO Jinxiang, CISS Fellow; and CISS Research Associates DONG Ting, SUN Chenghao, MIAO Zeming, and FENG Wei.

In-depth discussions were held on topics such as “China’s neighborhood diplomacy: history and insights”, “characteristics and trends of the current situation of China’s periphery”, “China’s opportunities and challenges in its peripheral sub-regions”, “perspectives and policies of China’s next-stage neighborhood diplomacy”. According to the panelists, China is facing complicated landscape in its periphery, with urgency in the east, chaos in the west, tensions in the south, and relative stability in the north. Amid the new changes in its periphery, China ought to adjust the strategic focus of its neighborhood diplomacy. In addition, panelists also put forward specific policy recommendations on developing relations with neighboring countries and on China’s neighborhood diplomacy.