From 24 to 26 June 2019, NISCSS President Wu Shicun attended the 33rd Asia-Pacific Roundtable themed “A Great Unwinding? Rules-based Regional Security Order to 2020 & Beyond” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The roundtable was hosted by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) of Malaysia. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad gave welcoming remarks to the audience at the opening ceremony.

Dr. Wu delivered a speech at the first plenary session “Asia-Pacific vs Indo-Pacific: Rationale, Contestation, and Implications.” He stated that the US-supported Indo-Pacific Strategy may force countries in the South China Sea region to take sides amidst the escalating rivalry between China and the United States, which would inevitably have a negative impact on the efforts of China and ASEAN countries to develop a rules-based regional order. It might also risk turning the Indian Ocean and South China Sea into a major theater for big power geopolitical competition.

Launched in 1987, the Asia-Pacific Roundtable has become a leading dialogue platform for strategic and security issues in the Asia-Pacific Region. More than 300 scholars, experts and policy makers around the globe participated in this year’s event, which focused on regional hot topics including the Indo-Pacific Strategy, Asia-Europe partnership, domestic and regional politics in Southeast Asia, nuclear arms control, technological rivalry and national security.

During his visit to Malaysia, President Wu Shicun met with Deputy Defense Minister of Malaysia Liew Chin Tong. They exchanged views on current China-Malaysia relations and the South China Sea situation.

President Wu also had an interview with “Awani Global”, a TV program on Malaysian news channel Astro Awani, and commented on various issues such as China-US relations, the Indo-Pacific Strategy, China-ASEAN relations and maritime cooperation in the South China Sea.