Professor Hughes is a world-renowned expert in Asia-Pacific politics, with a focus on China. He is currently Dean of the Department of International Relations at London School of Economics and Political Science, a world’s leading university in social sciences.

His public lecture, entitled China’s Approach to Relations with ASEAN and Vietnam: 
What Does the South China Sea/East Sea Dispute Tell Us?, covered a wide range of issues related to China’s premeditated maneuvers on the South China/East Sea. Prof. Hughes shared his view on the multifaceted and intricate nature of the South China Sea disputes from the Chinese perspective, be it geostrategic or deep-rooted nationalist. According to Prof. Hughes, China’s strategy and tactics have spanned over three main phases: “bid time and hide capacities” (pre-2009), incubation (2009-2013) and activist (2014 onwards). Centering economic statecraft, China has adopted a new approach to its relations with ASIAN stakeholders, one that encompasses three concepts: peripheral diplomacy, new Silk Road, and community of shared destiny. The way forward for ASIAN countries may be to unitedly enmesh China in a large network that involves other regional powers, such as Japan, India and Australia; and to make sure all sides play by international law.

The lecture by Prof. Hughes has offered Hue University students and staff a glimpse of world-class education. It is hoped that this occasion would kick start a fruitful collaborative relationship between Hue University, LSE and EU.