In Mid-October, CAFIU and Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association (SLCFA) jointly held the 2015 “Understanding and Cooperation” Dialogue in Colombo, Sri Lanka with the assistance of China Foundation for Peace and Development. The Dialogue included nationwide young student speech contest and Seminar on People-to-people Exchanges between China and Sri Lanka.

 

Founded in 1950, SLCFA is an influential Sri Lankan organization dedicated to promoting friendship between the two countries and one of the most important partners of CAFIU in the country. During the visit to Sri Lanka in 2014, the CAFIU delegation proposed holding the 2015 “Understanding and Cooperation” Dialogue in Colombo together with SLCFA on the topics of the “Belt and Road” Initiative and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations. SLCFA responded very positively to this proposal. To enable Sri Lankan people, younger generation in particular, to have a better insight into the “21st-Century Maritime Silk Road” and be ready to participate in the process, SLCFA elaborately designed the “Human Development Inspired through the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road Project” Young Students Speech Contest, which was carried out in Sinhalese, Tamil and English through preliminary, second and final rounds. Students from many middle schools and colleges in major provinces of Sri Lanka registered for the contest and 575 students obtained candidacy. 18 contestants entered the final round after competing for nearly two months. Sri Lanka attached great importance to the contest, as the Ministry of Education offered great support, Sri Lanka National TV run a special program covering the final round, and a lot of major mainstream media outlets covered the contest. Thanks to the contest and these media reports, Sri Lankan people, young students in particular, started enthusiastically discussing the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road.

 

To further expand the influence of the contest, CAFIU and SLCFA jointly held a press conference on the afternoon of October 15, attended by over 40 journalists from Sri Lanka and China. SLCFA President Goonatilake, General Secretary Sumathi, CAFIU Deputy Secretary-General Liu Kaiyang briefed them on the background of the contest and answered questions from the press. Mr. Liu Kaiyang thanked Sri Lankan people for their attention and participation and expressed his wish that this contest could help enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples and promote bilateral ties. Mr. Sumathi said Sri Lankan students’ enthusiasm was far beyond expectation. He told the journalists present that after two students from a school in the remote mountainous area entered the final round, the teachers and students of the whole school were praying for them in a traditional ceremony. The speech contest held by the two associations not only opened a window through which Sri Lankan youngsters can catch a better glimpse of China, but also built a bridge to connect students from different parts of Sri Lanka, especially Sinhalese and Tamil young students.

 

On the afternoon of October 17, the final round of English group was held at the studio of Sri Lankan National TV Station. Followed by the extraordinarily warm introduction by the anchor and applause from the audience, contestants ascended to the stage in their school uniforms. Each contestant expounded on their perception and views of building the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road within 3 minutes, respectively from the political, economic, and cultural aspects. They argued that countries along the “one belt and one road”, including Sri Lanka, are fascinated by China’s economic growth and being part of the process would not only boost the domestic demands and improve people’s lives in these countries, but also bring these countries together in building peace, trust and friendship on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation to march towards the common development of the humanity. The audience applauded and cheered them for their impressive performance. The jury, made up of a university lecturer, a think tank scholar and a media celebrity, commented humorously on their performance, encouraging them to work even harder.

 

After the contest, a ceremony was held to award prize to the contestants. 27 students competing in the Sinhalese, Tamil and English languages were awarded the First, Second and Third Prize respectively. The awarding ceremony was attended by Zhang Baowen, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress and Vice-President of CAFIU, Sri Lankan Speaker of the Parliament Jayasuriya, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang, CAFIU Vice-President Ai Ping, CAFIU Secretary-General Ni Jian, Sri Lankan government officials and representatives from Chinese and Sri Lankan companies. Mr. Zhang Baowen handed the certificate and gift to the first-place winner of Sinhalese group.

 

On the afternoon of the same day, CAFIU held the Seminar on People-to-people Exchanges between China and Sri Lanka, which was chaired by CAFIU Secretary-General Liu Kaiyang and attended by Vice-Chairman Zhang Baowen, Ambassador Yi Xianliang, CAFIU Vice-President Ai Ping and Secretary-General Ni Jian. In the seminar, Mr. Ananda Goonatilleke, Chairman of Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association, Ms. Dinusha Panditaratne, Executive Director of Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Mr. Saman Kelegama, Executive Director of Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, Mr. Luxman Siriwardena, Executive Director of Pathfinder Foundation, and Mr. Navindra Abeysekera, President of Sri Lanka China Business Council gave presentations. The seminar was also attended by representatives of major NGOs, think tanks and business communities in Sri Lanka, including Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation, Sri Lanka China Society, Sri Lanka-China Journalists’ Forum, Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka China Business Cooperation Council and Sri Lanka China Trade and Investment Promotion Chamber. The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to facilitate people-to-people exchanges and promote development in bilateral ties. The Sri Lankan side said that Sri Lanka and China had maintained longstanding friendship under the guidance of the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence and the amity between the two peoples are deeply rooted in the hearts of the two peoples. The initiation of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road originates from history and bears relevance to the current bilateral ties. They pointed out that Sri Lanka stands ready to be positively involved in the building of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road by virtue of its rich resources and favorable geographic location. Mr. Zhang Baowen expressed his wish that Chinese and Sri Lankan NGOs could join hands in taking the opportunity of jointly building the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road to further enhance the trust and friendship between the two nations and elevate the time-honored bilateral relations to a higher level.

 

As a forum initiated by CAFIU, the 2015 “Understanding and Cooperation” Dialogue is a major event for people-to-people exchanges between China and Sri Lanka and a helpful trial to enhance mutual understanding from the aspect of people’s diplomacy. It helped deepen the friendship, expand common ground and facilitate cooperation.