ISDP’s Stockholm China Center held a roundtable discussion with the Huayang Center from China
September 17, 2025: On September 12, the Stockholm China Center held a closed-door roundtable discussion with a delegation from the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance (Huayang Center), who were visiting research institutions and think-tanks across Europe. Titled “Prospects and Challenges of Sino-Nordic/European Relations in Changing Global Orders,” the discussion brought together experts from China and Sweden to assess pressing issues of mutual concern and explore viable paths forward during this period of intensified geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
Discussions centered on the evolving situation in the South China Sea, including the policies pursued by the Trump administration, the prospects for negotiating a Code of Conduct, and the current dynamics of cross-Strait relations. Participants highlighted growing regional tensions and emphasized the importance of conflict prevention mechanisms and a peaceful, sustainable settlement acceptable to all parties involved. Beyond security matters, the roundtable also addressed the development of institutionalized Track II dialogue platforms between China and Europe, as well as opportunities for cooperation in fields such as the green economy, marine environmental protection, public health, and people-to-people exchange. Finally, both institutions explored prospects for future collaboration, including joint research projects and sustained dialogue.
The Huayang Center delegation was led by Dr. Wu Shicun (Chairman of the Board of Directors) and included Dr. Xu Xiaodong (Deputy Chairman and Associate Research Fellow), Yang Li (Executive Director of the Institute for China-Europe Studies in Brussels), and Chen Qi (Assistant Research Fellow). Based in Hainan—China’s island province in the South China Sea—the Huayang Center is an institute for marine policy that advances sustainability and the peaceful use of the oceans through cross-disciplinary research.
Other participants included Prof. Chunrong Liu from the Fudan-European Center for China Studies (FECCS) in Oslo, Dr. Jingdong Yuan and Dr. Pierre Thévenin from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), and Dr. Mattias Burell from the Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI).
ISDP was represented by Dr. Niklas Swanström, Fatoumata Diallo, Maud Descamps, Yi-chieh Chen, Johannes Nordin, Dr. Yifei Zhu, and the new cohort of interns Felicia Kämpe, Loke Sandvall, Katja Pomortseva, and Federica Bagna.