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Abstracts

The Belt and Road Initiative in Global PerspectiveSu Ge

The Belt and Road Initiative connects the two great economic circles of Asia-Pacific and Europe,renewing the spirit of the ancient Silk Road in the new era,which is characterized by profound changes of the international structure,the deepening of globalization,and the ensuing urgent need to reform the global governance system.As“public goods”China provides for the world,the Initiative is the product of the time,accommodating China’s domestic agenda of comprehensively deepening reform and all-facet opening up,as well as the fundamental interests of participating parties.Supported by 6 economic corridors and several maritime pivots,the Initiative in its 5 strategic directions has achieved early harvest through 5 cooperation priorities (policy coordination,connectivity of facilities,unimpeded trade,financial integration,and people-to-people bonds).The building of the Belt and Road is a systematic and complex long-term project,which has yet to overcome multiple risks and challenges.

Features and Trends of China-US Relations in the“New Normal”PeriodWu Xinbo

In 2015,competition and frictions further intensified in China-US relations and led to a variety of results.Meanwhile,the two sides have successfully made efforts to stabilize bilateral ties,and achieved new progess in mutual cooperation.China has taken more initiatives in China-US relationship and manifested stronger ability to shape it.In the last year of the Obama administration,the US China policy is unlikely to undergo a profound shift,yet the risk is high for a loss of control over the South China Sea issue.Looking into the future,the next US administration will continue to adopt a mixed approach of engagement,cooperation,constraint and balance toward China,and tensions and confrontations may arise in some areas.China will continue to push for structural changes in bilateral relationship and renew its efforts to tactically manage it.

Evolution of US Alliance System in the Asia-PacificLiu Qing

During the Obama administration,the US has designed a new approach to consolidating its alliance system in the Asia-Pacific,widening cooperation channels in a more flexible way and integrating strategic resources of its regional allies and partners.The development of US alliance system in the Asia-Pacific is characterized with the expansion toward“soft alliance”,the evolution of“shadow alliance”and the tendency to share power.This new model of strengthening its alliance system drives regional countries to deplete their strategic resources.However,US would be restricted by factors such as ASEAN’s balance policy when it pushes its agenda forward.Facing the new situation,China needs to continuously keep its strategic momentum and roll up a two-pronged strategy to cope with new challenges from the change of US alliance policy.

Jurisdictional Award of the South China Sea Arbitration: Factual and Legal ErrorsMichael Sheng-ti Gau

On October 29,2015,the Tribunal constituted under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in the arbitration instituted by the Philippines against China issued its Award on Jurisdiction and Admissibility,which decided to move all Philippines’ 15 Submissions into the Merits Phase of this arbitration case.This paper explores the factual and legal errors hidden in the Award so as to evaluate the legitimacy of the Tribunal’s decisions,serving as basis to challenge the legality of the final award on the Merits.The overlapping of China-Philippines EEZ and continental shelf claims in the South China Sea,and the ensuing boundary delimitation disputes,should have precluded Philippines’ Submissions 5,8-9,12,and 14 from entering into merits phase.Moreover,the objectives of Philippines’ Submissions 3-7 and 10-14 are downgrading China’s sovereignty claims and advancing Philippines’ competing claims in the South China Sea.These Submissions relating to sovereignty disputes should have been ruled inadmissible by the Award.