As a professor, researcher and former dean of the UP Asian Center, and as the president of Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, we all knew Aileen's professional qualities: she was a talented researcher with quality analytical and conceptual skills. Always open and willing to explore new questions and research fields, she was a stimulating colleague to work with. She developed and nourished a particular expertise on China and Southeast Asian affairs and was a respected voice on the complex relationship between China and the Philippines. Always balanced, always proactively engaged in defending her point of view, Aileen developed a valuable and recognized expertise. Her insightful writings were treasured by the entire research community. She was collegial and cooperative, making her an indispensable part of a great number of collaborative projects. Indeed, Aileen believed in the virtues of exchange and dialogue. Having spent her career studying China, Aileen remained objective and was a recognized expert, sought after the world over. She was in Paris when she fell ill, attending a convention organized by the IHEDN (Institute for Higher National Defense Studies).

As a friend, Aileen was gentle, caring, easy going and always accommodating. She will be remembered for the softness of her voice, the quality of her expertise and her innate humility. A great researcher whose highest quality was to be inclusive, knowing that "researching alone is not doing research". A beautiful person, she was someone you could be proud to call a friend.

Sophie Boisseau du Rocher and the team of Ifri's Center for Asian Studies