An Indonesian-language adaptation of a Chinese song has surpassed 2 billion global streams after winning the grand prize at the finals of the “C-Wave Global Music Co-creation Plan · Joy Resonance of Nanyang” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Indonesian singer Kezia Kaithlyn took the top honor with “Aku Masih Memikirkanmu,” an adaptation of the Chinese song “Later I Met Him.” She said she hopes the adaptation will help Southeast Asian listeners understand the emotional core of Chinese-language music, according to the announcement carried by Media OutReach Newswire.
The project, hosted by China’s Guangdong Radio and Television, is open worldwide with no restrictions on nationality or age and features three tracks: original creation, adaptation, and AI co-creation. Within 30 days of launch, it received more than 5,000 submissions from around the world, with musicians from more than half of APEC member economies taking part. The scale of participation is central to why the initiative matters: it positions an amateur, open-entry Chinese music program as a vehicle for cross-border cultural exchange rather than a conventional talent competition.
The finals drew 300 guests, and 68 local media outlets including Radio Televisyen Malaysia covered the event. A Malaysian member of parliament said music can dissolve differences and expressed hope the event becomes a regular fixture. A local tourism and culture official described the project as building a bridge for Asia-Pacific youth exchange under the framework of APEC’s China year. Scholars from multiple countries also recognized the value of Chinese-language music in connecting hearts across regions.
The program has generated an enthusiastic response beyond the competition itself. Experts on international affairs and China studies, the president of the UNESCO Culture Without Borders association, and Chinese-language schools worldwide have followed it closely. Overseas reach has totaled 300 million, with 137 domestic and international platforms simultaneously promoting it. For observers of cultural diplomacy, those figures suggest the initiative has extended Chinese-language music’s audience well past traditional diaspora communities.
The implications reach beyond a single winning single. By helping ordinary amateurs reach the international stage, the project uses music as a vehicle for civilizational dialogue and conveys an open and inclusive Chinese culture to the world, according to the announcement. The 2 billion streams for one adapted song, combined with participation from musicians across more than half of APEC member economies, indicate that locally reworked Chinese melodies can travel widely when performed in listeners’ own languages—an approach that could shape how cultural exchange programs are designed in the region.
