"The Political Economy of China's Maritime Silk Road Initiative and South Asia" International Conference Held

On November 21 and 22, 2015, “The Political Economy of China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative and South Asia” international conference took place in Shanghai, China at East China Normal University. The conference was organized by the Mr. & Mrs. S.H. Wong Center for the Study of Multinational Corporations (Wong MNC Center), hosted by the ECNU School of Advanced International and Area Studies (SAIAS), and co-sponsored by the Wong MNC Center, ECNU SAIAS, the Center for Russian Studies, and the Research Center for Co-Development with Neighboring Countries. About 100 academics, researchers, and others were present throughout the course of the two-day event with opening remarks given by Dr. Guo Weilu (ECNU Vice President), Dr. Liu Jun (SAIAS Dean), Dr. Feng Shaolei (Director of the Center for Russian Studies), and Dr. Jean-Marc F. Blanchard (Wong MNC Center Executive Director). Formal presenters at the conference including senior scholars, think tank directors and researchers, and consultants who came from Australia, India, the People’s of China (PRC), Singapore, the U.S., and the U.K. Keynote speakers included Ambassador Liu Youfa, former Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Mumbai (India), and Dr. Yang Jiemian, former President of the Shanghai Institute of International Studies. Ambassador Liu provided valuable insights into China’s Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI) and delved extensively into Sino-Indian relations, its complexities, and its ramifications for the MSRI. Dr. Yang delivered a comprehensive overview of China’s MSRI, detailed some of the challenges China faces in bring this massive project to fruition, especially in regard to India, and offered a number of policy suggestions as to how the Chinese government can smooth the implementation of the scheme. Other featured speakers include Dr. Shi Yinhong, a Renmin University professor and PRC State Council foreign policy advisor, who spoke frankly about his concerns regarding the MSRI and its cousin the Silk Economic Belt. Dr. Zhu Cuiping, Deputy Director of the Research Institute for Indian Ocean Economics, who gave a rich overview of the Indian Ocean economic situation. Other speakers touched upon geographic, economic, international relations, domestic political, and social issues shaping the development of the MSRI and its realization not only in regards to China, the initiator of the ambitious plan, but also in regards to other key players such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the Maldives. There were frank exchanges throughout the conference and it provided a great learning opportunity for academics, businesspeople, and other attendees.