Sunday Nov 16, 2025
Sunday Nov 16, 2025
Monday, 22 September 2025 05:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha
At the 12th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Sri Lanka underscored its foreign policy of peace, dialogue, and cooperation, positioning the Indian Ocean as a conflict-free zone and the island as a bridge between East and West.
Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha addressing the forum said Sri Lanka’s strategic location carried responsibilities. “Sri Lanka stands ready to act as a bridge of peace and cooperation, facilitating connectivity, trade, and cultural dialogue between East and West,” he said.
Highlighting bilateral relations, he recalled over seven decades of ties with China, “built on trust, mutual respect, and partnership,” and acknowledged Beijing’s role in safeguarding Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, supporting military training, and contributing to infrastructure development.
Reaffirming a commitment to stability, Thuyacontha added: “Differences are inevitable, but they must never lead to confrontation. Dialogue and consultation are the only sustainable path forward.”
He called for regional initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, to “complement one another.”
“We must solve our problems among ourselves through dialogue and consultation, guided by equality and mutual respect. This is the spirit we carry forward from the Beijing Xiangshan Forum towards a future where peace triumphs over conflict,” he said.
He also noted: “We should take seriously the legitimate security concerns of every country and promote peaceful settlement of differences and disputes among countries through dialogue and consultation. We need to continue pursuing open regionalism and steadily advance regional economic integration.”
Quoting Chinese President Xi Jinping, Thuyacontha said true peace is achieved “not merely through the absence of conflict but through dialogue, understanding, and constructive engagement.”
The 12th Xiangshan Forum, co-hosted by the China Association of Military Science and the China Institute of International Strategic Studies, was held in Beijing from 17-19 September, with participation from senior defence officials across the Asia-Pacific.
