Beijing, Colombo seek closer media ties

Closer media cooperation is needed to build mutual trust, deepen understanding and strengthen ties between China and Sri Lanka, scholars and experts said at a media seminar in Colombo on Friday.

"Media is no longer simply a means of transmitting information. It has become a powerful instrument for building understanding between societies and strengthening relations," said Kaushalya Ariyarathne, deputy minister of Mass Media of Sri Lanka, at the 2026 China-Sri Lanka Media Cooperation and Exchange Seminar.

She highlighted recent progress in a program-sharing arrangement allowing 10 Chinese productions, including the science fiction series The Three-Body Problem, to be translated and broadcast in Sri Lanka.

Wei Huaxiang, Chinese ambassador to Sri Lanka, said "the voices of developing countries remain relatively weak" in the global landscape.

He called on media organizations from both countries to "strengthen coordination in international communication" and speak with a common voice on issues, including climate change, poverty reduction, development and global governance, while countering misinformation and misleading narratives.

Shanika Sriyananda, a senior journalist of Daily Financial Times and former media director of the Ministry of Defense in Sri Lanka, recalled a moving moment from her trip to China's Yunnan province in June.

Reflecting on the story of the ancient Chinese monk Faxian, who wept upon seeing a Chinese silk fan in ancient Sri Lanka, she said: "Something similar happened to me."

After receiving a silk scarf with a heartwarming note from her Chinese friend, she said "tears came to my eyes", as she felt the bond of friendship between the two countries.

Chen Wenling, a senior research fellow at the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, called for joint responses to shared global challenges, and the fostering of new values, worldviews and perspectives.

New opportunities

Underscoring China's advances in AI, Chen said large language models and other AI technologies are being rapidly applied across diverse industries. "This technological strength will present new opportunities for deeper China-Sri Lanka cooperation," she said.

Wang Lei, a professor at the School of Government and director of the Center for BRICS Cooperation Studies at Beijing Normal University, said tea serves as a vivid illustration of deep cultural ties and a natural bridge for people-to-people connections between China and Sri Lanka.

The two countries should deepen ties across media, think tanks, and academia to "bolster South-South cooperation and explore viable modernization paths for the Global South", he added.

Tissa Ravinda Perera, a professor at the Faculty of Management and Finance of the University of Colombo, emphasized that media communication must not be one-way. "It should enable the Sri Lankan audience to understand China while allowing the Chinese audience to learn about Sri Lanka," he said.

During the event, delegates witnessed the launch of the Colombo Initiative on China-Sri Lanka Media Cooperation and an accompanying action plan.

The seminar brought together more than 80 guests from government agencies, media outlets, think tanks and universities in China and Sri Lanka.

It was held ahead of the 70 years of diplomatic ties between China and Sri Lanka and the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Rubber-Rice Pact next year.

Meanwhile, a China-Sri Lanka friendship organizations symposium was held in Colombo on Saturday, focusing on people-to-people connections.

A "Southern Messengers" mobile bookcase was handed over to promote educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries.