RSR presents: DEBATE "China and Hong Kong: A Clash of Civilizations?"

The conflict between Hong Kong and China has had relatively little coverage on Estonian media outlets compared to other major events such as the US election or the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Therefore The Society of International Relations (RSR) has invited three high level experts and a native Hongkonger to raise awareness about the conflict and to tell us more about the history and culture of Hong Kong, its relationship with China and to give us an overview of the international dimension of the current situation. How do Hongkongers identify themselves? What are some of the social cleavages in Hong-Kong? How have the ongoing protests in Hong-Kong influenced Hong-Kong's perception of China? What should be the EU's foreign policy towards China? These are just some of the questions that will be discussed in this debate.
This event will be moderated by Haldi Helis Annus (RSR)

The debate will take place on October 20th, at 18.15 on the second floor of Genialistide Klubi, Tartu.
NB! Face masks are mandatory at this event! Please DO NOT ATTEND if you feel unwell or have symptoms of COVID-19!

PANELISTS:
Frank Jüris is a Junior Research Fellow at the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute and a guest lecturer of Asian Studies at Tallinn University. His research focuses on China’s domestic and foreign policy, EU-China relations, China’s relations with Central and Eastern European countries and China-Russian relations. He has a Masters Degree from the National Chengchi University in Taiwan and he has also worked at the Estonian Foreign Ministry as well as the Delegation of the European Union to Taiwan.

Urmas Hõbepappel works as a Junior Researcher at the University of Tartu, as well as an analyst at the University of Tartu’s Asia Centre. His role at the Asia Centre is to advise the University of Tartu and Estonian decision-makers on matters concerning Asia, particularly China. His research focuses primarily on China and includes topics such as religious freedom, the idea of freedom in contemporary Chinese political philosophy and Chinese history politics.

Märt Läänemets has a PhD from the University of Tartu where he had worked as a Senior Researcher in Chinese Studies and Associate Professor; currently as an independent researcher. His main areas of research include Buddhist culture and literature, Chinese culture and history, Chinese language, contemporary Chinese domestic and foreign policy as well as China-Taiwan relations. He has translated Sun Zi's "The Art of War" from classical Chinese into Estonian. Läänemets has conducted research and lectured in Chinese and Taiwanese as well as Indian and European universities and research institutes.

Iverson NG is a Hongkonger who moved to Estonia in 2017. He holds a Bachelor's degree in international journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University. During the Umbrella Movement in 2014, he was a student journalist who witnessed most parts of the 79-day occupation in HK. In his honorous project, he interviewed 15 different stakeholders on '20 years after the handover in Hong Kong'. He is also a recent graduate of EU-Russia Studies master’s programme at the University of Tartu.

More information on FB event. 
Main contact: rauno.matvejev@gmail.com