Amb. Shivshankar Menon (Centre for Social and Economic Progress), Antara Ghosal Singh (former Research Associate, Centre for Social and Economic Progress), Amish Raj Mulmi (Author of All Roads Lead North: Nepal’s Turn to China), Chulanee Attanayake (National University of Singapore), Shahtaj Mahmud (The Institute of Policy Advocacy and Governance Dhaka), Dr. Constantino Xavier (Centre for Social and Economic Progress)

In “China’s Approach to South Asia: Characteristics and Lessons” Antara Ghosal Singh aims to fill the knowledge gap on how China approaches South Asia, including how China looks at the role of India in the region. In “Charm Offensive: Shaping Chinese Perceptions in Nepal”, Amish Raj Mulmi provides a qualitative analysis of China's soft diplomacy in Nepal focuses on how Beijing shapes public perceptions in neighbouring countries by highlighting cultural and social links through various events. In "China's Buddhist Influence in Sri Lanka" Chulanee Attanayake attempts to explore how Buddhism is emerging as an important soft power tool in China’s statecraft strategy. In “Myanmar’s Rohingya Crisis and China’s Growing Clout in Bangladesh”, Shahtaj Mahmud questions whether China is genuinely seeking to become a responsible global superpower or is it just another shrewd strategy to expand its sphere of influence?