Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China Dr. Palitha Kohona participated in a ceremony at the South West University, in Chongqing to declare open a poverty alleviation and cooperative development centre. He was invited to this event by the Vice Minister Wu Jianhao. The Ambassadors of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal also participated.
China having eliminated extreme poverty, nine years ahead of the UN SDGs, and achieved what is modestly described as moderate prosperity, is now seeking to assist others to realize the same goal. Despite all the visible opulence, China remains a developing country which has achieved much ahead of most other developing countries.
The idea of such a centre germinated from a zoom meeting of South Asian nations hosted by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Centre will facilitate the exchange of new ideas and best practices, knowledge sharing and practical assistance with a focus on modern agriculture. The South West University is a leading institution in China for agricultural research and information technology.
Ambassador Dr. Kohona addressing the audience said that countries like Sri Lanka could benefit immensely by assistance focused on improving agricultural productivity, avoiding post harvest losses, better packaging and easier access to the lucrative Chinese market. At present, the Chinese market for agricultural products was dominated by four or five developed countries. Access to this market has become crucial for us given Sri Lanka's switch to organic agriculture.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Beijing
13 July, 2021
