The Colombo Maritime Dialogue 2026: Fostering win-win cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) was conducted on 13-14 May 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This event was jointly organized by the Pathfinder Foundation in Colombo and China Centre for South Asian Studies (CCSAS) at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China. Scholars, maritime practitioners, marine scientists from Sichuan University, Shenzhen university, Fudan University, Tsinghua university, Yunan University  and research centres and institutes in China, Singapore, Maldives, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and Sri Lanka participated in this event. His Excellency Qi Zhenghong, the Ambassador for People’s Republic of China and Former Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke, the Chairman of Pathfinder Foundation delivered the opening addresses.

The Indian Ocean is a maritime global common of great strategic and economic significance, serving as a vital corridor for international trade, energy flows, and cultural exchanges. In the recent past, it has also become an arena for shifting power dynamics, with increasing competition among major powers alongside an expanding range of non-traditional security challenges, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, climate change, maritime crime, and natural and man-made disasters.

The security of the Indian Ocean has taken on a new dimension with the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, along with Iran's retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and US interests in Gulf countries. Additionally, closures and threats to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz now impact energy, trade, and food security in many parts of the world. Small and medium-sized economies such as Sri Lanka will suffer severely if this vital strait remains closed. While much of the current discourse on the Indian Ocean tends to focus on security issues, there is an emerging need to address the equally important development dimension of maritime cooperation. Sustainable resource management, blue economy development, and regional connectivity are now recognized as vital pillars for long-term stability and prosperity in the region. In this changing environment, Sri Lanka’s central location in the Indian Ocean makes it a natural hub for fostering collaborative efforts. China, with its extensive maritime activities and investments in the region, is a key partner in developing a balanced and constructive agenda that combines development and security.

The China–Sri Lanka Maritime Cooperation Dialogue provided a structured platform to examine these interconnected issues, develop joint perspectives, and identify opportunities for collaboration, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and multipolar discussion on the future of the Indian Ocean.

Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, a Non-resident Senior Fellow of Hong Kong Research Center for Asian Studies and a distinguished Fellow of Pathfinder Foundation delivered the keynotes addresses together with Prof Huang Yungsong Associate Dean, school of International Studies at Sichuan University. Admiral Prof. Colombage also moderated the session titled “Maritime Cooperation for Sustainable Development” at this dialogue.