On December 19^th, 2020, the symposium on “Analysis on the Current Situation and Prospect of Northeast Asia in Post-COVID-19 Era” was successfully held in Qingdao. It was organized by the Northeast Asian Research Center of Jilin University (a Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of Ministry of Education). Professor Ba Dianjun, Deputy Director of the Northeast Asian Research Center of JLU, presided over the symposium and delivered an opening address. Also present at the symposium were over ten experts and scholars from well-known domestic scientific research institutions, including Lv Yaodong, Deputy Director of the Institute of Japanese Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Professor Jiang Longfan, Director of the Institute for International and Regional Studies at Tianjin Foreign Studies University, Professor Zhao Lixin, Vice Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Yanbian University, Professor Tan Hongmei from the International Development and Cooperation Research Center of Northeast Asia at Dalian University of Technology, Wu Keliang, associate researcher of the Institute of Korean Studies, Jilin Academy of Social Sciences, and Associate Professor Xu Bo of the Northeast Asian Research Center of Jilin University.

    In the symposium, in-depth discussions and exchanges were conducted on various topics including analysis and prospect of Japan’s political situation and foreign relations, of Russia’s foreign relations, and of the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Prof. Lv Yaodong made a wonderful speech on the evolution of the U.S.-Japan alliance and the future development of China-Japan relations. Prof. Ba Dianjun predicted possible changes in Japan’s domestic and foreign policies in 2021 based on his studies. Prof. Jiang Longfan, Prof. Zhao Lixin, Prof. Tan Hongmei and Associate Researcher Wu Keliang respectively made an insightful speech on the situation on the Korean Peninsula in the Post-COVID-19 era, the future U.S. policy on the Korean Peninsula and the independent defense policy of South Korea. Associate Prof. Xu Bo delivered a speech entitled “Geopolitical Changes in Eurasia and the Development Trend of U.S.-Russia Relations”. Other participating scholars actively conducted in-depth discussions on issues related to regional security and politics in Northeast-Asia in the post-COVID-19 era, with a number of research consensuses reached.

    The symposium is among the important annual academic events held by the Northeast Asian Research Center of Jilin University, the convening of which under the impact of COVID-19 pandemic won support and affirmation of all participants. It is hoped that more cooperative research on related topics will be carried out in the future.