11th China-South Asia International Cultural Forum Youth Salon focuses on peace and development

Sugath Ratnayake, Lecturer, Department of Sinhala, School of Foreign Languages, Yunnan University

The 11th China-South Asia International Cultural Forum Youth Salon was held in Kunming, China recently. The conference was co-hosted by the Yunnan Provincial Government and the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC). The theme of this event is “cohesion of development and joint efforts to build a vision of peace”. The conference aims to enhance communication platforms for young people in China and South Asia and to contribute youth energy to peace and development.  

Sugath Ratnayake, Lecturer, Department of Sinhala, School of Foreign Languages, Yunnan University, representing Sri Lanka and Yunnan University participated in this conference, and he delivered a speech on ‘Regional Development’. In his speech, he said that the Covid-19 epidemic had severely affected the economic, social and political structures of many countries. In such a context, achieving regional or global development goals is a challenge, he said. Sugath Rathnayake stated that these challenges can only be overcome through a collective effort. He said development benefits should be shared through bilateral or multilateral trade agreements. Further, he added that bribery, corruption, waste and inefficiency inherited from Asian countries were a major obstacle to regional development.  

"The conference aims to enhance communication platforms for young people in China and South Asia and to contribute youth energy to peace and development"

Lin Songtian, President of the Chinese people’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Luo Jianghong, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Yunnan Provincial People’s Congress, Moinul Haque, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, K. K. Yoganathan, Deputy Chief of Mission of Sri Lanka Embassy in China, Hu Jinming, Vice President of Yunnan University, and Professor Avijit Banerjee, Head, Department of Chinese Language and Cultural Studies, University of Visva-Bharati, India, also addressed the conference.  

"The theme of this event is “cohesion of development and joint efforts to build a vision of peace"

Lin Songtian said that China and South Asian countries are geographically connected, culturally similar, share similar historical experiences, and faces a common development mission. Luo Hongjiang said that in recent years, the Yunnan province has extended extensive cooperation with South Asian countries under the “One Belt One Road” initiative. Deputy Chief of Mission of Sri Lanka Embassy in China K.K. Yoganathan, addressing the conference, said that China, a historical friend of Sri Lanka, had assisted Sri Lanka on various occasions and looks forward to further deepening bilateral ties.  

This conference was held online and offline. Foreign youth delegates from Yunnan University, Peking University, Shanghai University, Shenzhen University, Sichuan University and University of Visva-Bharati spoke on various topics at the conference.