By ECLC Staff May 11, 2026
To commemorate 25 years of cooperation between Peking University and the European partner universities, that have been organised in the European Chinese Language and Culture Programme at Peking University since 2011, this summer term marks the beginning of a new hybrid lecture series, which will be held online via Zoom and physically at the School of International Studies.
The topic of this summer term’s lecture series is ‘China and Europe in a New World’.
May 21st 2026 12:00 CET/ 18:00 CST, Lin Chuanze 林传泽 (Lecturer, Beijing), Chinese Characters and Civilization
This lecture aims to provide a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese culture through an exploration of Chinese characters. It will cover four main topics: 1. The Mysteries of Character Composition (a brief introduction to four methods of character creation and two methods of character usage); 2. Nature in Chinese Characters (observing the human body, flora and fauna, and the natural world through Chinese characters); 3. Civilization in Chinese Characters (gaining insight into the historical journey of Chinese civilization through Chinese characters); 4. Traditional Culture in Chinese Characters (understanding concepts such as Dao, De, Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, Xin, Jing, and Wei through Chinese characters).
June 4th 2026 12:00 CET/ 18:00 CST, Prof. Mette Thunø (Aarhus University), China’s Diaspora Governance since the late 19th Century
This talk analyses the evolution of China’s diaspora governance from the late Qing period to the present as an adaptive process shaped by shifting domestic priorities and international conditions. It advances a four-dimensional framework—sovereignty, ideology, security, and pragmatism—as recurring governing imperatives structuring state engagement with populations abroad. Rather than a linear progression, diaspora governance is conceptualised as a dynamic configuration in which these imperatives remain continuously present but are reweighted across historical periods. I argue that diaspora governance reflects broader transformations in contemporary statecraft, in which sovereignty remains formally territorial but is increasingly enacted through de-territorialised and networked practices radiating from a sovereign centre.
June 11th 2026 12:00 CET/ 18:00 CST, Prof. Guo Weizhen 郭维真 (Law School of the Central University of Finance and Economics), China’s Tax Law: System and Reform
This lecture focuses on introducing China’s tax law system and tax law reform. China is a dual subject tax country, which means value-added tax and income tax constitute an important component of tax revenue. In the lecture, the focus is on introducing the deduction mechanism of Value-Added Tax, the deduction system of Enterprise Income tax, and the special additional deduction of Individual Income Tax. With the increasing activity of Chinese enterprises in the global economy, an international tax treaty network has also been formed in China. While introducing the current tax system, this lecture will also focus on major tax law reforms in recent years.
June 18th 2026 12:00 CET/ 18:00 CST, Prof Chen Changwei 陈⻓伟 (School of International Studies at Peking University), The Belt and Road Initiative: Origins, Vision, and the Future of Global Cooperation
This lecture explores the emergence and evolution of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a platform for international cooperation and shared development. It examines the motivations behind its creation, the global vision and governance principles it embodies, and the differing international responses it has generated. The lecture also considers the challenges facing the BRI and discusses possible pathways for advancing the initiative in a complex and contested global environment.
June 25th 2026 12:00 CET/ 18:00 CST, Prof. Björn Alpermann (University of Würzburg), Trump 2.0: Chinese and European Responses
One and a half years into President Donald Trump’s second term in office, this talk takes stock of how China and European countries respond to the challenges and disruptions he brought about. It looks at economic as well as security relations and addresses both bilateral ties and the level of global order. Comparing responses by both potential adversaries and putative allies helps to put the recent shift of U.S. policy into perspective.
Students may join the lecture series in person at the School of International Studies at Peking University or via Zoom.
