From Presence to Control: China's Maritime Strategy in a New Phase

YCAPS is excited to announce the next event in the Community Conversations seminar series in the Iwakuni Community! This event will feature Dr. Chisako T. Masuo, Professor at Kyushu University, who will guide us in a discussion on the most recent phase of China's maritime strategy in the pacific.

With the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan in the spring of 2026, China's maritime strategy has entered a new phase. China is strengthening its control over the near seas through multi-agency law enforcement while accelerating its expansion into the Pacific Ocean. In particular, in the waters east of Taiwan, China is mobilizing civilian assets, including university-affiliated research vessels, to normalize its activities and restrict the access of the United States and other foreign countries.

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This event is free and open to all in the Iwakuni and surrounding communities. refreshments will be provided.

Registration (optional) at this Google form.

Schedule:

• 17:45-18:30: Reception
• 18:30-19:45 - Presentation and Q&A
• 19:45-20:00 - Optional light networking/wrap up

Location:

Atago Sports Complex - Culture Center: 2nd Floor Multi-Purpose Room

2 Chome Atagomachi, Iwakuni, Yamaguchi 740-0037

https://www.city.iwakuni.lg.jp/soshiki/19/28779.html

Google Maps

Speaker:

Chisako T. Masuo is Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University. Her research focuses on Chinese foreign policy, maritime strategy, and China’s maritime activities. She received the Nakasone Yasuhiro Award of Excellence in 2021 and the IHJ Opinion Journalism Award in 2026 for her analysis of China’s maritime affairs. Before earning her Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo, she served as a research assistant to the late Professor Ezra F. Vogel of Harvard University. She later worked as his Coordinating Research Scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute during 2014–15. In 2019, she held visiting fellowships at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and China Foreign Affairs University. She is a regular contributor to Weekly Toyo Keizai and frequently provides commentary for Nikkei, Asahi Shimbun, and Yahoo! Japan News. She has published extensively and conducted research in Japanese, English, and Chinese.

Format: This event will be off-the-record

Registration: Optional at this link
Moderators: Nick Milward and Anthony Boccia
Seminar Cost: Free of charge