A Chinese amateur music initiative is extending its reach beyond national borders, with an Indonesian-language adaptation of a Chinese song surpassing 2 billion global streams. The milestone was announced at the finals of the "C-Wave Global Music Co-creation Plan ·Joy Resonance of Nanyang" held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where Indonesian singer Kezia Kaithlyn won the grand prize with "Aku Masih Memikirkanmu," an adaptation of the Chinese song "Later I Met Him."
Kaithlyn 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. Her win and the streaming figure offer a concrete measure of the project's stated ambition: using music as a vehicle for cross-border cultural exchange.
The program, 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 over half of APEC member economies taking part. That breadth matters for an initiative positioned around Asia-Pacific exchange, since it draws contributors from a wide set of economies rather than a single market.
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 Chinese-language music's value in connecting hearts across regions.
The response extends beyond the stage. Experts on international affairs and China studies, the president of the UNESCO Culture Without Borders association, and Chinese-language schools worldwide have followed the program closely. Overseas reach has totaled 300 million, with 137 domestic and international platforms simultaneously promoting it.
For the music industry, the numbers point to a working model for taking amateur talent international. The initiative helps ordinary amateurs reach the international stage, using music as a vehicle for civilizational dialogue and conveying an open and inclusive Chinese culture to the world, according to the announcement. The 2 billion streams recorded by one adapted single suggest that translated Chinese-language melodies can find large audiences abroad, which could encourage more cross-border co-creation and adaptation projects among artists, broadcasters and platforms in the region.
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