Wuhan University (WHU) held the ninth Boundary and Ocean Research International Forum from Oct 17 to 18, bringing together nearly 80 experts from countries including the United States, Canada, and Brazil, as well as from think tanks and academic institutions in China.

Qin Tianbao, vice-president of WHU, emphasized the importance of boundary and maritime issues, which concern national sovereignty, security, and development interests, as well as regional peace and stability.

He highlighted that building a community of shared future in China's surrounding regions is a crucial direction for contemporary diplomacy and a major topic of both theoretical and practical urgency.

Cai Qiang, executive vice dean of WHU’s Academy of International Law and Global Governance, outlined ongoing efforts to build an international exchange platform and establish a knowledge system in boundary and maritime governance.

Prominent figures delivered keynote speeches, including Hu Dekun, former vice-President of WHU, who spoke on building a community of shared future between China and its neighbors.

Mark Entin, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in Russia, addressed the global impacts of Middle East conflicts, trade and information wars, and unilateral coercive measures.

Chen Jieying, senior research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University, presented a report on maritime governance.

Lee Jong-hyuk, director of the Sungkyun Institute for China Studies at Sungkyunkwan University, shared insights on mutual perceptions between South Korea and China.

The forum also featured in-depth discussions on border and maritime governance, frontier governance, and the community of shared future in China's neighborhood and on the Korean Peninsula.

Participants summarized the discussions, consolidating consensus and academic insights. Professor Kimie Hara of the University of Waterloo in Canada praised the discussions' value and inspiration from an external perspective.