ICES Webinar | From Hormuz to High Seas Governance: New Challenges for the International Law of the Sea and China-EU Responses

Hosted by the Institute of China-Europe Studies

Source: ICES

Date: Friday, July 3, 2026
Time: 10:00–11:30 CEST; 16:00–17:30 BJT

Speakers (in alphabetical order of surname):

• Dr. Eva Pejsova, Japan Chair at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS), Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB)
• Professor Volker Roeben, Dean of the Law School, Durham University
• Professor ZHANG Xinjun, Professor, School of Law, Tsinghua University

Moderated by ICES' Executive Director YANG Li

Current international flashpoints have brought renewed attention to the international law of the sea. Legal issues arising out of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the uncertainty of its future regime even after the conflicts end, are typical indications that the law of the sea is facing new profound challenges. In addition, the implementation of the freshly born BBNJ Agreement, diverging views and practice on deep-sea mining reinforced the trend of a shifting maritime order.

Against this background, the webinar will explore:

• How are current flashpoints reshaping navigational rights?
• What challenges will the international legal regime in ocean governance face in practice?
• How do Europe and China view the future maritime order, respectively?

To join the webinar, please register via the following link:

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