Chinese cultural diplomacy initiative seen as having 'geopolitical undertones'

In a quiet but strategic cultural initiative, the City Alliance for Maritime Silk Road Heritage Conservation and World Heritage Nomination (CAMSR), a Chinese-led initiative with broad geopolitical undertones, is anchoring its South Asian focus on the historic port city of Galle this May.

- BY IFHAM NIZAM

An official delegation from CAMSR, a coalition of 34 Chinese cities and one from Indonesia, will arrive in Sri Lanka to host a promotional forum under the theme “Floral Whisper Along the Silk Road: Maritime Silk Road Cultural Journey.” Scheduled to be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel on May 19, the half-day event brings together Sri Lankan and Chinese tourism and heritage officials in a bid to deepen ties under the broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework.

"This is more than just cultural diplomacy. It's a calculated move to position Chinese heritage leadership as a lever for regional soft power, noted a Colombo-based geopolitical analyst familiar with China-Sri Lanka relations.