On January 24, 2026, the Academic Symposium on “Review and Prospect of the South Asian Regional Situation in 2025” was successfully held in Conference Room 208, Democracy Building, Yanyuan campus. The event was hosted by the Center for Pakistan Studies and the School of Foreign Languages of Peking University, and co-organized by the Center for Indian Studies and the Center for South Asian Studies of Peking University. Experts and scholars from research institutions and universities including Peking University, Sichuan University, Fudan University, Shandong University, the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (National Academy of Governance), East China Normal University, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Communication University of China, Taiyuan University of Technology, Lanzhou University, as well as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, China Institute of International Studies, Shanghai Institute for International Studies, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gathered for in-depth discussions and exchanges on the annual development and future trends of South Asia.

At the opening ceremony, Professor Chen Ming, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Peking University, Professor Sarji, Chair of the Department of South Asian Studies, and Professor Tang Mengsheng, Founding Director of the Center for Pakistan Studies, delivered speeches successively. They shared with the participating scholars the historical progress and contemporary mission of the discipline construction of Indology and South Asian Studies at Peking University, and expressed their enthusiasm for exchanging ideas with peers and jointly advancing research. The opening ceremony was presided over by Zhang Jiamei, Deputy Chair of the Department of South Asian Studies.

The keynote speech session was chaired by Professor Tang Mengsheng, in which 5 Renowned scholars delivered keynote speeches. Jiang Yili analyzed the turbulent situation and direction adjustment in South Asia; Yi Xianliang discussed China’s position in the South Asian geopolitical landscape; Qiu Yonghui expounded the interactive impact of Hindu nationalism on South Asia’s internal affairs and diplomacy; Xue Li interpreted China’s South Asian diplomatic strategy under the framework of the “Belt and Road” Initiative from the perspective of civilizational competition; and Chen Lijun analyzed the current situation and future trend of India’s economy.

Yi Xianliang presided over the first panel of speeches. On the first panel Zhang Jiadong, Wang Shida, Li Qingyan, Liu Zongyi, Li Jingfeng and Zhang Chaozhe shared their insights on topics regarding major-power relations and South Asia’s strategic autonomy, South Asian geopolitical security, regional governance risks, the general election in Bangladesh, Pakistan’s economy, and the wave of Gen Z protests in China’s neighboring regions.

Chen Lijun chaired the second panel of speeches. On the second panel Zhang Shulan, Guo Xuetang, Xie Laihui, Yao Yuanmei, Zhang Jiegen and Zhang Xuejiao delivered speeches successively on the development trends of India and Pakistan, the impact of India-Pakistan relations on South Asian security, the “India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor”, the development of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, the China-India-Pakistan trilateral relationship, and changes in South Asia’s political ecology.

Qiu Yonghui chaired the third panel of speeches. On the third panel He Hongmei, Yang Silin, Sun Xianpu, Xu Juan, Niu Yuyan and Zhang Yuan shared their thoughts on topics with regard to the role of the media in India’s political modernization, the regionalization logic of Hindu nationalism, the Modi government’s policy toward the European Union, the reconstruction of the subjectivity of Afghanistan as a small-scale country, tribal issues along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and the geopolitical landscape of South Asia under the rise of the Global South.薛力主持第四场发言，唐孟生、

Xue Li chaired the fourth panel of speeches. On the fourth panel Tang Mengsheng, Song Hanyin, Zhou Jia, Zhao Lei and Zhang Jiamei discussed in turn the challenges of counter-terrorism in Pakistan, the diplomatic history of Pakistan, the national security situation in Pakistan, new paths for China-Pakistan cooperation, new changes in terrorism-related issues in Pakistan, and the compatibility of "modernity"with South Asian societies.会议

The conference concluded successfully amid lively discussions. It has built a high-quality platform for exchange on South Asian regional studies, bringing together the insights of experts and scholars in relevant fields.

Text & Photos: Liu Shen, Tian Shiyu

Translated by Gao Yanshu