What to Expect from the China–South Asia Friendship Forum 2025

Leaders of friendship organizations, diplomats, and cultural envoys from across South Asia and China will gather in the Maldives next week for the 9th China–South Asia Friendship Organizations Forum, set to take place from 12 to 15 November 2025 at Crossroads Maldives. 

REGIONAL DIPLOMACY RETURNS TO THE MALDIVES 

The Maldives will, for the first time, host one of South Asia’s most significant people-to-people diplomacy gatherings. The forum’s 2025 theme — “Mutual Learning, Peace, Prosperity for a Shared Future” — reflects a growing recognition that civil diplomacy, not just statecraft, is now central to sustaining regional stability. 

Delegates from China, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the Maldives are expected to discuss ways to deepen cooperation through cultural dialogue, youth exchanges, and academic partnerships. 
For the Maldives, the forum is also a strategic opportunity to project itself as a neutral convening hub in the evolving South Asia–China relationship. 

WHO’S HOSTING 

The event is jointly organized by the China–Maldivian Cultural Association (CMCA), the Organization of South Asian Regional Friendship and Cooperation with China (OSARFCC), and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). 

CMCA, led by Ambassador Mohamed Rasheed, has become a driving force in strengthening cultural exchange and mutual understanding between China and the Maldives since its establishment in 2015. 
It took over the chairmanship of OSARFCC in 2024 — a milestone that brought Maldivian civil diplomacy into the regional spotlight. 

OSARFCC, formed in 2010, links friendship organizations across five South Asian countries and has been instrumental in promoting China–South Asia cooperation under the Belt and Road framework. 
Meanwhile, CPAFFC, China’s leading civil diplomacy body founded in 1954, continues to serve as a bridge between China and the world, advancing friendship and people-to-people exchange as pillars of peaceful coexistence. 

DISTINGUISHED ATTENDANCE 

The Forum will be attended by H.E. Dr. Yang Wanming, President of CPAFFC, who brings with him an extensive diplomatic background — including service as China’s ambassador to Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, and as Vice Minister of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. 
Dr. Yang’s presence underscores the importance Beijing places on civil diplomacy as a complement to state-level engagement. His expected remarks are likely to focus on cultural connectivity, mutual trust, and inclusive regional growth. 

THE PROGRAM 

The four-day event blends official sessions with cultural immersion: 

Around 60 participants representing friendship associations, academia, civil society, and government will take part, making this one of the largest multilateral people-to-people gatherings in the region this year. 

EXPECTED OUTCOMES 

The discussions at the Forum are expected to focus on strengthening people-to-people diplomacy between China and South Asia, promoting cultural and educational partnerships under the Belt and Road Initiative, and enhancing civil networks that encourage peace, inclusivity, and sustainable prosperity. The event also aims to position the Maldives as a diplomatic bridge for regional cultural and development cooperation, reinforcing its role as a convening hub for dialogue and collaboration across the South Asia–China partnership.