Chinese Ambassador positive of belt-road initiative opportunities

Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang delivered the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the International Conference on ‘China in South Asia/South Asia in China: OBOR and the Sri Lankan Experience’. 

About 30 scholars from well-known think tanks in China and Sri Lanka as well as representative of foreign missions in Sri Lanka attended the conference.

Ambassador Yi said that as one part of South Asia, China was always committed to strengthening exchanges and cooperation within this region. China and South Asian countries have witnessed a long history of friendly exchanges. Nowadays, cooperation between China and South Asia in politics, economy and trade, culture, education and tourism has further deepened. 

The Belt and Road initiative brings more opportunities for mutual development among China and South Asian countries. The embassy said that it wished that all the countries in the South Asian region could work together to explore ways and means of strengthening cooperation so as to achieve a win-win situation and benefit the people in this region.

Founded in 1992 in Colombo, the Regional Center for Strategic Studies mainly focuses research on regional cooperation in South Asia. The conference on ‘China in South Asia/South Asia in China’ was started in 2016. During the two-day seminar, scholars exchanged views on topics including maritime security, economic development, governance and politics, business opportunities, environment and culture and the way forward.