6th China-South Asia Cooperation Forum Held in Kunming, Gathering Representatives of Over Ten Countries to Explore New Horizons for Regional Cooperation

The 6th China-South Asia Cooperation Forum was held in Kunming, Yunnan from June 19 to 20, attracting the participation of more than 200 participants, including dignitaries, diplomats, and representatives from the business and cultural sectors from more than 10 countries including China, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Nepal. They engaged in dialogues both online and offline on the theme of “Join Hands for Open and Inclusive Development,” exploring new horizons for regional cooperation.

The China-South Asia Cooperation Forum is a major multilateral diplomatic dialogue platform between China and South Asian as well as Indian Ocean Rim countries. Since its inception in 2018, five editions have been successfully held. This year’s forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and the People’s Government of Yunnan Province, undertaken by the Office of Foreign Affairs of Yunnan Province. The event included an opening ceremony, three sub-forums, and thematic discussions and interviews.

Xu Feihong, Chinese Ambassador to India, said that in recent years, China and South Asian countries have written a new chapter of friendship for the new era under the guidance of high-level exchanges, via the platform of the Belt and Road Initiative, grounded in cooperation in areas vital to people’s livelihoods, and bonded by people-to-people exchanges. “We are willing to continue the time-honored friendship with South Asian countries by strengthening strategic coordination, deepening pragmatic cooperation, and expanding people-to-people exchanges, to tighten cooperation ties, and jointly grow the pie of our shared interests.”

“True cooperation is based on trust and mutual understanding. That has been proved by Maldives-China relations,” said Ahmed Nazim, Deputy Speaker of the People’s Majlis of the Maldives. “As an island nation, our future depends on connectivity, sustainability, and development resilience. We are ready to work with China and other South Asian countries to promote open, inclusive, and sustainable regional development through enhanced connectivity, economic links, and people-to-people exchanges.”

Arun Hemachandra, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment of Sri Lanka, said that Sri Lanka is working on the transition to green energy, coastal ecological conservation, and sustainable agricultural development. “China is a leader in these areas and we look forward to deepening cooperation with China.”

“The UAE and China have deep and lasting cooperation in economy, technology, culture, and other aspects,” said Abdullah Al Saleh, Under Secretary of the UAE Ministry of Economy. China is the UAE’s largest global trading partner, and the UAE is China’s largest export market and second-largest trading partner in the Middle East. He expressed the hope to deepen cooperation with China and South Asian countries in emergent areas such as smart logistics, digital trade, renewable energy, and sustainable agricultural development in the future.

The attendees reached a broad consensus on common development and cooperation issues and jointly released the Kunming Action Plan of the 6th China-South Asia Cooperation Forum.