Vice President, Development Research Center (DRC), State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Dr. Long Guoqiang opened the office of Pathfinder Foundation’s (PF) ‘China-Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre’ at the ‘Riverpoint’ complex, Peliyagoda last week. The event was witnessed by a high-level delegation from the DRC and senior officials of the Embassy of China. The Chinese delegation was welcomed by founder Milinda Moragoda and senior members of PF.
Pathfinder Foundation, an advocacy and research think-tank functioning since 2006, has three Centres focusing on China-Sri Lanka relations, India-Sri Lanka relations and the Law of the Sea.
While the China and the India Centres focus on developing relations between these two countries, the Centre for Law of the Sea gives attention to issues relating to the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the ‘Blue Economy’.
The visiting delegation had substantive discussions with the founder of PF and its senior staff members on the broader theme ‘Cooperation between China and Sri Lanka in developing production capacity within the framework of BRI’.
Both sides exchanged views on promoting and facilitating Chinese investment, setting up and operating industrial parks, and formulating policies for strengthening future bilateral cooperation.