From September 4 to 6, 2025, Dr. Sun Chenghao, Fellow, and Niu Qiyang,Pre-Doctoral Fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University, attended the 2025 Munich Young Leaders (MYL) Annual Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

The Munich Young Leaders program, jointly initiated by the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and the Körber Foundation, brings together future decision-makers and supports them in building international networks. MYL participants engage with senior attendees of the MSC on pressing foreign and security policy issues, and are invited to the annual gathering as well as additional activities organized by MSC and the Körber Foundation. Since its launch in 2009, the program has attracted more than 330 outstanding young leaders from over 70 countries, including ministers, parliamentarians, senior civil servants, military officers, and experts from leading global institutions. Dr. Sun and Mr. Niu are members of the MYL Class of 2025 and Class of 2024, respectively.

This year’s meeting brought together nearly 80 MYL alumni. Dr. Sun and Mr. Niu joined the panel “Two Waters: Linking Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Maritime Security.” Dr. Sun was invited to deliver opening remarks alongside Admiral Jorge Manuel Nobre de Sousa, Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Navy. In his speech, he outlined the main objectives of China’s maritime security strategy, including safeguarding national sovereignty and rights, leveraging marine resources to build a strong ocean economy, and upholding a fair and equitable international maritime order.

Responding to concerns about China’s shipbuilding capacity possibly raising apprehensions among neighboring countries, Dr. Sun emphasized that China’s advantages primarily lie in commercial shipbuilding and supply chain support, with the purpose of promoting global connectivity. During the discussion, Dr. Sun and Mr. Niu also addressed questions related to China’s surrounding waters, including the South China Sea, underscoring the importance of dialogue in resolving disputes.

In addition to the panel discussions, Dr. Sun was interviewed by the MSC media team, where he shared his journey and reflections as a young scholar in international affairs. The interview will be published in written form on the MSC’s official LinkedIn account.