LKI Researcher Participates in ORF Panel on China’s Response to South Asia’s Political Reset

October 21, 2025    Reading Time: < 1 minute

Reading Time: < 1 min read

On 16 October 2025, Sulochana Wijayasinghe, Researcher at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI), participated as a speaker in a panel discussion titled “South Asia’s Political Reset: Understanding China’s Response.” The event was organized by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in India as part of The Neighbourhood Scope, a monthly feature of its Strategic Studies Programme aimed at fostering key conversations on India’s regional engagements.

The discussion, held in a hybrid format, brought together participants from across the region. Speakers based in New Delhi joined the panel from the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, while regional experts participated virtually. The panel explored China’s evolving foreign policy approach in light of major political changes across South Asia, particularly in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, where mass protests between 2022 and 2025 led to the toppling of elected governments.

The conversation focused on how China is responding to these political shifts, the factors influencing its engagement strategies, and the future of its development assistance and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the region. The panel also examined how the newly formed governments are recalibrating their ties with China and what these changes mean for the ongoing India-China competition in South Asia.

Other distinguished speakers included Ambassador Ashok Kantha, Former Ambassador of India to China and Former High Commissioner to Sri Lanka; Professor Delwar Hossain of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Antara Ghosal Singh, Fellow at ORF. The session was moderated by Sushant Sareen, Senior Fellow at ORF.