Top Chinese officials yesterday, told a visiting media delegation from Sri Lanka that their investments in Sri Lanka are stimulating and they are fully committed to invest more in Sri Lanka. As a close and true friend of Sri Lanka, they welcome economic competition with any other country, but not geopolitical competitions.
Leading members of the Shanghai Institute of International Studies gave this firm assurance during a discussion with the Lankan media delegation in Shanghai.
Senior Fellow of the Institute for International Strategic Studies and Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies, Dr. Liu Zongyi told the Sri Lankan journalists that Sri Lanka has become important to some Western countries as China has largely invested in Sri Lanka. He said, if any country wants to get the support of the Sri Lankan people, they have to make investments in Sri Lanka. Dr. Zongyi said, “Sri Lanka is a very good example because we have worked closely on some projects. China has a huge potential in the fields of capital and infrastructure building to help Sri Lanka in its development drive. After years of conflict, Sri Lanka needs infrastructure building and economic development.”
He said, China and Sri Lanka have a longstanding traditional friendship. China built the Hambantota Port, the Colombo Port City and implemented some other key projects, and the demand for those projects emerged from Sri Lanka itself.
He further said, certain NGOs in Sri Lanka have their own agendas and propaganda about China-Sri Lanka cooperation. They use the mass media to carry out their propaganda to influence the ordinary people.
Therefore, the traditional print and electronic media can play an important role to give the true picture to the people regarding this. Sometimes, international politics may also influence China-Sri Lanka cooperation.
If investments made by any country in Sri Lanka can improve the economic and social progress of the Sri Lankan people, China always welcomes such competition, he said.
He said, after the One Belt One Road project was initiated, connectivity within the region has been improved. China has built ports, expressways and economic development zones in Sri Lanka. Not only hard infrastructure such as ports and expressways, we have also made financial connectivity and other economic enterprises in Sri Lanka. “I firmly believe China’s cooperation can improve Sri Lanka’s economic position,” he added.
Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS) President, Dr. Chen Dongxiao said, they have been working closely with many of their counterparts from Sri Lanka. “During the past few years, we have worked closely and strengthened cooperation with our counterparts in Sri Lanka. One of the key initiatives is the China-Sri Lanka Cooperation Centre, and, this is the first such joint centre set up between the two countries.”
Dr. Dongxiao said, SIIS organised a conference last year which was attended by a Sri Lankan delegation. Another meeting will be held with their counterparts in Sri Lanka, this year. A Chinese delegation will visit Sri Lanka to discuss about these initiatives.
He said, the economic cooperation between the two countries is on the rise. Sri Lanka’s location in the Indian Ocean is very significant. “We should work very hard to improve the investment environment to reduce costs to attract entrepreneurs and business people. This is a common challenge that all the Governments have faced. “
A Government’s job is to provide a reliable security environment which is basic for incoming projects. A Government can work together to improve those regulations, laws and norms, to make those institutions for digging investment opportunities more transparently.
At the same time, those non-governmental bodies too have a role to play. They should be deeply engaged to help improve the overall environment, so that they can continue to track a sustainable investment, he said.
Dr. Dongxiao said, “We should also work hard to enhance people to people contact. People to people contact lays down the basis for a social support for all those economic projects.
If there is no social foundation for the economic projects, it will be difficult for a Government or business people to push forward”.
Media can also play an important role on this. I appreciate very much the Sri Lankan media delegation visit to China and hope they have already established a close contact with their counterparts in China.
With the dramatic change of the media landscape, the people are more reliable on social media rather than the traditional media. So, the mainstream media’s mission is much more important as they always give us the most authoritative information so that the people will not be misled by fake or distorted news”.