The ‘Security and Prosperity in Asia’ conference looked at the impact of international law in the Asia-Pacific with a focus on regional economic and security issues such as the South China Sea disputes.
Conference Agenda
Wednesday 27 March 2019
Geopolitical uncertainty, challenges to multilateralism, the growing influence of non-state actors and the implications of unprecedented technological advances raise questions about the role of international law in global and regional governance. In the Asia-Pacific, this is evident in numerous issues at the top of domestic and foreign policy agendas, including the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the need to resolve disputes in the East China and South China seas, and containment of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
This conference will explore the impact of international law on security and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific. How can governments in the region and other actors contribute to international law playing a more effective role in strengthening cooperation and reducing regional tensions? And how influential are Asia-Pacific states in the development of international law generally?
09:30–10:00 | Registration
10:00–10:10 | Welcome remarks
Adam Ward, Deputy Director, Chatham House
10:10–10:45 | Keynote discussion | The Role of International Law in the Asia-Pacific
- What has been the impact of Asia-Pacific states in the development of international law? Is there such a thing as a pan-Asian approach?
- Where is international law helping to strengthen relationships in the region, and where might it be contributing to tensions?
- What are some of the broader challenges for the legitimacy and effectiveness of international law as a tool for global governance?
Speakers:
Koji Tsuruoka, Ambassador of Japan to the United Kingdom
Champa Patel, Head, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House
Ben Saul, Associate Fellow, International Law Programme, Chatham House; Challis Chair of International Law, University of Sydney
Chair:
Adam Ward, Deputy Director, Chatham House
10:45–12:15 | Session One: Strengthening Economic Relations
This panel will look at opportunities and challenges for international trade and investment law in the Asia-Pacific, including regional arrangements – such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership – as well as China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The panel will also discuss the evolving regimes for dispute settlement on trade and investment matters.
- What trends do we see in regional and mega-regional trade agreements, including in relation to dispute settlement arrangements?
- What is China’s approach to trade agreements in the region, and how does this compare with the positions taken by other key Asian and Pacific states?
- What are the implications of the increased use of international arbitration in the region to settle investment disputes, and what new approaches may be on the horizon?
Speakers:
Qingjiang Kong, Dean, School of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law
Yorizumi Watanabe, Professor, Faculty of Policy Management, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University
Romesh Weeramantry, Counsel, Clifford Chance Asia
Yu Jie, Research Fellow, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House
Chair:
John Nilsson-Wright, Senior Research Fellow, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House
12:15–13:30 | Lunch
13:30–15:00 | Session Two: Maritime Security and Governance
This panel will examine the attitudes and behaviours of states in the Asia-Pacific towards the Law of the Sea, including freedom of navigation and maritime delimitation in the South China and East China seas; the evolving regulatory regime for mining of the international seabed; and disruptive actions by states aimed at tackling illicit economies, such as drugs- and human-trafficking.
- What are the key maritime and governance security challenges in the region?
- What has been the consequence of the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling in the Philippines v. China case on the attitudes of states in the region towards the Law of the Sea?
- How are regulatory frameworks developing in relation to the polar regions and the deep seabed in response to competing economic and security interests? How are states in the region engaging on these issues?
Speakers:
Bill Hayton, Associate Fellow, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House
Shafiah F. Muhibat, Head, Department of International Relations, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia
Aniruddha Rajput, Member, UN International Law Commission; Consultant, Withersworldwide
Constantinos Yiallourides, Arthur Watts Research Fellow on the International Law of Territorial Disputes, British Institute of International and Comparative Law; Visiting Scholar in International Law and Public Policy, The University of Tokyo
Chair:
Vasuki Shastry, Associate Fellow, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House
15:00–15:20 | Tea/coffee break
15:20–16:50: Session Three | Emerging Security Challenges
This panel will consider how international law regulates new threats, including cyberattacks, in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. It will also review evolving defence strategies, and explore prospects for regional security cooperation.
- What are the emerging security issues that are most contested in the Asia-Pacific region?
- What role does international law have in response to the increasing use by state actors of cyber tools against other states? How are key Asian states such as China and Japan engaging in this space?
- What are the implications for security strategies in the region of developments and controversies relating to the law on the use of force?
Speakers:
Lee Chen Chen, Director, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Hitoshi Nasu, Professor of International Law, University of Exeter
Kimberley Trapp, Associate Professor, Faculty of Laws, University College London
Chair:
Harriet Moynihan, Associate Fellow, International Law Programme, Chatham House
16:50–17:00 | Closing remarks
Ruma Mandal, Head, International Law Programme, Chatham House
Ben Saul, Associate Fellow, International Law Programme, Chatham House; Challis Chair of International Law, University of Sydney
17:00–18:00 | Drinks reception
Neill Malcolm Room, Chatham House