Forum of the 22‑Nation Economic Cooperation Zone of the Southern Silk Road to be Held in Singapore

Singapore, August 29. The Forum of the 22‑Nation Economic Cooperation Zone of the Southern Silk Road is scheduled to convene in Singapore on December 16, 2026, the 13th The Belt and Road International Day.

The concept of the 22‑Nation Economic Cooperation Zone of the Southern Silk Road originates from Sichuan of China. The route stretches via Yunnan into Myanmar and branches into two corridors. The Northwest Corridor covers ten countries: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The Southeast Corridor includes another ten countries: Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Timor‑Leste and Indonesia. Together with China and Myanmar, there are 22 participating nations in total.

The forum will bring together business representatives, think‑tank experts and overseas‑community delegates from participating countries. Participants will conduct in‑depth discussions on connectivity, trade and investment, industrial‑chain collaboration and people‑to‑people exchanges, exploring new pathways for multilateral economic cooperation under the Southern Silk Road framework. It aims to unlock regional development potential, advance high‑quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, and consolidate the mutually‑beneficial partnership among countries along the route.

Organizers noted that leveraging Singapore’s geographical advantages, the forum strives to build a practical and efficient multilateral dialogue platform, boost policy coordination and economic‑trade interactions among the 22 nations, and unlock the cooperation potential along the Southern Silk Road.