On May 15, 2025, the “2025 China-South Asia Poverty Reduction and Development Cooperation Forum” was held in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. The event was attended by Du Zhanyuan, President of China International Communications Group (CICG); Gamagedara Dheerasinghe Disanayake, Deputy Minister of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka; Qi Zhenhong, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka; Faheem Ul Aziz, High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka; and Mohammad Jannatul Habib, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Sri Lanka.
Du Zhanyuan delivered a speech
Mr. Du Zhanyuan pointed out that eradicating poverty is both a global challenge and a shared mission of humanity. Poverty reduction and development cooperation between China and South Asian countries is imperative yet remains a long-term task. He emphasized the need to actively practice the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness to continuously improve people’s well-being; to comprehensively deepen practical cooperation for shared economic prosperity and stability; and to promote the application of innovative technologies to empower poverty alleviation efforts. The CICG will leverage the China-South Asia Poverty Reduction and Development Cooperation Forum as an opportunity to facilitate bilateral and multilateral sharing of poverty reduction experiences, jointly explore solutions tailored to regional characteristics, and contribute wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Gamagedara Dheerasinghe Disanayake delivered a speech
Mr. Gamagedara Dheerasinghe Disanayake pointed out that although Sri Lanka has made significant progress in areas such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure, poverty remains a persistent challenge, particularly in rural areas and among urban impoverished communities. Sri Lanka has drawn valuable lessons from China’s successful experience in transforming cultural heritage into economic value. This forum provides an important opportunity to promote knowledge exchange, identify areas of cooperation, and build stronger collaborative networks to advance poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Qi Zhenhong delivered a speech
Qi Zhenhong noted that by the end of 2020, China had accomplished the poverty eradication target for the new era as scheduled, and eliminated absolute poverty and overall regional poverty. While advancing its own poverty reduction process, China has been providing assistance to the vast number of developing countries to the best of its capability. China has set up the China-UN Peace and Development Fund and the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, and has carried out solid cooperation under the framework of the East Asia cooperation initiative on poverty reduction and the China-Africa cooperation plan on poverty reduction and people’s livelihood. China has also been enhancing capacity building in developing countries through multilateral and bilateral channels to contribute to global poverty reduction efforts.
Indrananda Abeysekera delivered a speech
Indrananda Abeysekera, President of the Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation Association, emphasized the significance of China's poverty alleviation experience for South Asian countries, particularly third-world nations like Sri Lanka. He stated that China’s achievements in poverty reduction are not only a success for China itself but also a valuable asset for global development. Upholding the philosophy of “putting the people first,” China’s modernization progress has contributed not only to its own development but also to global advancement. Specifically, its experience in targeted poverty alleviation and rural revitalization holds profound importance for South Asian countries in overcoming similar challenges.
Kapila Munasinghe delivered a speech
Kapila Munasinghe, an expert from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, shared insights into the experience and outcomes of providing technical assistance to Sri Lanka through South-South cooperation. He highlighted that the project has enhanced the production efficiency and yield of key fruit industries in Sri Lanka, such as bananas, pineapples, and mangoes, by transferring technical expertise and innovative technologies. This initiative has also accelerated the commercialization process, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of these fruits in both domestic and export markets. The cooperation has not only contributed to improving the sustainability of local agriculture but has also unlocked new economic opportunities for farmers and related industries.
Dai Yonghong delivered a speech
Dai Yonghong, Director of the Institute of Area and International Communication Studies and Dean of the College of International Studies at Shenzhen University, and Distinguished Professor, pointed out that China has achieved a comprehensive victory in the battle against poverty, successfully eliminating absolute poverty. China’s experience demonstrates that with strong determination and concrete actions, it is possible to pave a way out of poverty and toward prosperity for impoverished areas. In particular, China’s poverty alleviation model emphasizes the principles of “tailoring measures to local conditions” and “targeted poverty alleviation,” which involve designing customized strategies based on the specific circumstances of different poor regions and groups.
Wang Dongxiao, Dean and Professor of the School of Marine Sciences at Sun Yat-sen University, explored the relationship between marine resources and the monsoon system, as well as its profound implications for the economy and environment of South Asia. He emphasized that strengthening regional cooperation, particularly in the sustainable utilization of marine resources and the prediction and management of the monsoon system, could provide significant opportunities for poverty reduction in South Asian countries.
Shannon Harnibal, representative of the Sri Lankan Belt and Road Initiative think tank, pointed out that Sri Lanka and China have a solid foundation for cooperation, which has been further deepened in recent years under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. In 2023, China funded the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to implement a fruit value chain enhancement project in Sri Lanka, helping local fruits gain better access to international markets. At the same time, China has also supported local sea cucumber farming, rural road construction, and the Mahaweli Water Diversion Project, concretely improving people's livelihoods. These practical outcomes fully demonstrate the significance of Sri Lanka-China cooperation in promoting regional poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Udaya Mohan Devadas, Professor at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, delved into the poverty issues in China, Sri Lanka, and the broader South Asian region, proposing a comprehensive human resource development framework designed to provide effective support for policy planning and strategic implementation, thereby facilitating poverty alleviation and eradication. He emphasized that an integrated framework centered on “empowerment” and “human capital-driven approaches” can play a critical role in helping countries improve living standards, expand employment opportunities, and achieve sustainable development, offering novel insights and solutions for poverty reduction efforts in South Asia.
Genesh de Silva, President of the Sri Lanka-China Association, shared China’s journey from a poverty-stricken nation to the comprehensive establishment of a moderately prosperous society. He noted that China has successfully stimulated economic growth in impoverished areas through large-scale relocation programs, poverty alleviation policies, rural revitalization, and tourism development. By 2020, China had completely eradicated absolute poverty, achieving the target of eliminating extreme poverty outlined in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ahead of schedule. This historic achievement owes much to the political and social system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, demonstrating clear vision and robust implementation measures.
Liu Zongyi, Research Fellow and Director of the Center for South Asian Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, pointed out that South Asia and the Indian Ocean region, being one of the world’s most densely populated and development-needy areas, still face severe poverty challenges. As a key global leader in poverty reduction efforts, China has engaged in productive cooperation with countries in the region through platforms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, focusing on critical areas including infrastructure development, agricultural modernization, food security, and green development.
The forum featured the release of the Chinese-English bilingual publication Q&A on Chinese Modernization, compiled by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies. Liu Shuangyan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation at CICG, presided over the release ceremony. The book systematically addresses the international community’s concerns and questions regarding Chinese modernization in a Q&A format, elucidating its internal logic and practical approaches.
During the forum, the distinguished guests visited the themed book exhibition of the China-South Asia Cooperation Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development 2025
During the forum, distinguished guests visited the “Themed Book Exhibition of the 2025 China-South Asia Cooperation Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development.” The Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation Association was presented with books covering topics such as China’s poverty reduction experience and rural revitalization.
The forum was held under the guidance of the CICG and the Embassy of China in Sri Lanka. It was co-organized by the Center for Central and East European and Central Asian Communications (China Pictorial) of CICG, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, and the Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation Association. The event was supported by China Harbour Colombo Port City Project Company, CCCC Construction Group Co., Ltd., and the "Silu Hua Yin" Magazine. The forum brought together over 80 participants, including government officials, diplomatic envoys, experts, scholars, media representatives, and delegates from international organizations from China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other countries.
The distinguished guests attentively listened to the presentations and discussions
The distinguished guests actively shared and exchanged ideas
First Reviewer: Li Tian
Second Reviewer: Fu Le
Third Reviewer: Dai Yonghong
