导语：We need the assistance from countries like China---Dialogue with Sri Lankan ambassador to China,Dr. Palita
We Need The Assistance From Countries like China
---Dialogue with Sri Lankan ambassador to China,
Dr. Palita Kohona
By:Zhao Can
DiplomatMagazine(D):Hello,Ambassador.It's a pleasure to see you again.When was your first visit toChina and what was your first impression of China?
Ambassador(A) :I visited China in the mid 80s for the first time. But since then Ihave been to China about 18 times prior to being posted as Ambassador, forofficial purposes and, on a couple of occasions, privately.
At that time China was still a poorcountry. I was amazed at the milling crowdseverywhere. Beijing was not only a seaof people but also was jam-packed with bicycles. The roads were clogged with bicycles, withmost lanes being allocated to them. There were hardly any motor cars at the time. I cannot recall seeing too many tallbuildings, but there were new apartment blocks being built. Of course, I was fascinatedby the enormity of the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square and withthe Forbidden City (the Palace Museum) of which I had heard and read so muchsince childhood.
Since then, I have witnessedmassive changes taking place on almost every visit. I also recall the overpoweringpollution in Beijing in the 90s caused mainly by the rapid industrialization ofthe country and the use of coal.
Of course today, China is adramatically different place with an impressive network of super highways linkingits burgeoning cities, highways lined with an abundance of trees and flowerbeds, high speed train tracks crisscross the country, sleek trains that travelat over 325 Kmh, cities that look as if they were taken from the pages ofscience fiction glossies, and a population that seems to be provided with mostof its needs.
Although China claims tobe only a moderately prosperous developing country, it has many of the characteristicsthat one expects in more economically advanced countries. In the 80s there were hardly any star classhotels or world standard restaurants. Today almost every big city boasts global brands, whether they are hotels,shopping arcades, world class fancy clothing names, etc. Even the two airports in Beijing are biggerand more impressive than large airports elsewhere in the world.
China has pulled up 700 millionpeople from poverty to prosperity and eliminated extreme poverty. In the process it has created the biggestconsumer market in the world, including for luxury goods.
The transformation that China has undergonein this short period is truly remarkable and I have witnessed all this.
D: As Sri Lanka’s Ambassador toChina, what the most important things to be done?
A:We have are 4 key goals. First we need to improve our investmentframework to attract more Chinese investors. Sri Lanka’s export performance in China requires dramatic improvement. Then, we must encourage more Chinese touriststo visit Sri Lanka. We also must nurtureand further strengthen the bilateral relationship. Let me start with the fourth one,the bilateral political relationship which is the foundation. The bilateralrelationship is at an all an time high.
It is a very warm relationship.President Xi Jinping has been intelephone conversation with our President. Recently, he sent a message to Sri Lanka’s political leaders,congratulating the two sides on the 65th anniversary of establishingbilateral relations and 70th anniversary of concluding the Rubber – RicePact.
Prime Minister , Li Keqiang paid a visit to Sri Lanka in January. But no relationship should be taken forgranted. Every relationship, like amarriage, has to be nurtured consistently. We must be sensitive to the needs ofour other partner and respond appropriately. Foreign relations are not only about our own needs. They are also about the wants of ourpartners.
Encouraging Chinese investors:
China is the biggest source ofFDI in the world today. 148 Bn. USDflowed out of China last year and we should work on attracting even a smallfraction of that colossal figure to Sri Lanka. Investments are essential for us to pull ourselves out of the difficult economicsituation that we are in. FDI can come fromanywhere in the world, but China is the biggest source of FDI. We have excellent relations with China.
Since coming to Beijing, I have met over 60large companies, including SOEs. We have talked to them about Sri Lanka’sinvestment potential. Our proximity toIndia, with whom we have a FTA, proximity to Pakistan, we have a FTA with themalso;. Our easy access to ASEAN which isa booming region economically. Africa has1.4 Bn. People, and is expected to be the next economic boom area in theworld. Sri Lanka is very close to thesehuge and lucrative markets and we must encourage the Chinese investmentcommunity to think of the vast potential of these markets at our doorstep.
And of course, we have a GSP + facility withthe US and Europe. I always keep onemphasizing that, unlike many other countries in the world, we have no enemies.We are friends with everyone.
So anycompany establishing themselves either in the Hambantota EPZ or elsewhere inSri Lanka, can access all these markets without political constraints.
Export Trade;
This is an area where we haveperformed very poorly in the last few years. China exports over 4 Bn. USD. worthof goods to Sri Lanka annually. Weexported, only around 280 Mn USD to China last year. Balanced trade is not something that is evergoing to happen between a massive economy like China and an economy like ours.But we certainly can export more to China.
And we are talking to the relevant authorities here, importing companiesand business associations. More SriLankan products can be exported to China as we produce some world class goods. Given our current foreign exchange crisis,this is vital. China is the biggestconsumer market in the world. Everybodyis crawling over each other to export to China. But it is not an easy market. Exportersmust understand the sensitivities and the needs of Chinese consumers. Relationshipsmust be developed. Confidence betweenbuyers and sellers must be established. You need to get to know the consumers. It is a slow process. But onceyou properly enter this market, then I think, we are home and host. Sri Lanka produces delicious pineapples, mangoesand a range of other fruits and marine products. They must meet the Chinese standards. One of the messages that we have received,over and over again from the Chinese side, is that we should conclude a Free TradeAgreement (FTA).
There are over 27countries and regions which have FTAs with China. All of them are doing well.
D:Which cities in China have youbeen in? What are your favourites?
A: I have visited 14 provincesduring the last 16 months and over 25 cities. I have been to some cities morethan once. If not for the pandemic relatedrestrictions, I would have used the opportunities available to visit more. Because every province and every city hassomething special to offer and there are things that I could learn.
For example, Nanjing is a bustling city andit has many impressive modern developments as well as historical sites. It is very beautiful the way in which Chinahas preserved its history.
SimilarlyChongqing is a dramatically impressive city with a skyline that rivalsManhattan at night. Chengdu, which Ihave visited more than once, has left me with many memories.
The spicy cuisine of Chengdu evokes thoughtsof meal times in Sri Lanka. During myvisit to Henan, I had the great pleasure to tour some amazing Buddhist Culturalsites like the Shoaling Temple, the WhitehorseTemple, the Kaifeng Temple andthe Longman Grottos.
I also visited theMogao Grottoes in Dunhuang. I have visited Shanghai, on many occasions over the years.
It has imprinted a number ofspecial memories. Shanghai reflects the modern and dynamic China. Jinanin Shandong, the city with many natural springs, is another charming historicaland important place.
That I havevisited.
D:Not long ago, you went to Xiamenon business. What is the most memorablething about Xiamen? What is your commenton Xiamen Airlines?
A: I have been to Xiamen twice. Myfirst trip was as the guest of the government. I had the great pleasure of being taken around the Gulangyu Island. I was captivated by the way the colonialstructures on Gulangyu Island had been preserved.
Today it is a major touristattraction and thousands of people visit this island. The island also boasts a large statue of theGeneral ZhengChengGong who drove away the Dutch from Taiwan.
Xiamen has a warm and mildclimate, even during the winter months and its food was very special. Many marine products were always on thetable. In Xiamen I was generously hostedby the HerbT Company which sources its tea supplies mainly from Sri Lanka. Companies like HerbT will play a major rolein popularizing Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Cha in China. They also produce a value addedBlack Tea extract which is likely to become more popular in the future.
I flew with Xiamen Airlines fromBeijing to Xiamen and then from Xiamen to Seoul. I must complement the crew of the aircraftfor their exceptional courtesy and hospitality. It was a pleasure to travel withthem.
D:What you do in your spare timeand what are your hobbies? Do you likecooking? Do you practice Kung Ku?
A:The SriLanka Embassy in Beijinghas only a very small staff which leaves little spare time for otheractivities. But I like visiting galleries,museums and historical sites. Beijing has many such world class locations.
The Forbidden City (the Palace Museum), The Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall,Beihai Park, the Lama Temple and the Lingguang Temple, to name a few.In addition to the traditionalart, there are also many galleries which highlight contemporary works. The Indi Museum for example. I amfortunate to have friends who are interested in the arts. As someone who used to enjoy winter sports inEurope and North America, I was privileged to be able to attend a number of eventsduring the Beijing Winter Olympics.
I have also been to performances at the PerformingArts Centre in Beijing. I also like nature. I’ve visited the Fragrant Hills, Chaoyang Park and, of course, theneighboring Ritan Park.
I do like cooking and sometimes Icook in order to give myself a break from the pressures of work. I cook for friends and hope that I cancontribute a little to making Sri Lankan cuisine popular among my Chinese colleagues and friends. I would love tosee a Sri Lankan restaurant opening in Beijing.
Although I enjoy Kung Fu I do not practice it. I may have left it till too late to learn now. I do have a dream of taking a troupe of KungFu monks to Sri Lanka. Kung Fu is verypopular among Sri Lankans. A common namefor Martial Arts in Sinhala, my language, is ‘Cheena Adi,’ The use of this wordis historical and is too much of coincidence.
I also love eating and China is awonderful place for a Foodie. The rangeof dishes available in this country is mind boggling. Every time I go to a new place, I make aneffort to taste the local food. I have alsonoticed that the alcohol produced each province, sometimes in each city, isdifferent. It is also interesting thatChina has begun to produce good quality western style wines in largequantities.
D:What do you thing of therelationship between China and Sri Lanka?
A：Our bilateral relationship isbuilt on a very strong foundation.
SriLanka committed itself many years ago, asfar back as the early 50s, to the One China Policy. China values that commitment because, at thetime, China was weak and was on the outer, Sri Lanka was one of the countrieswhich vociferously supported the one
China policy, and when China was makingall those efforts to have its legitimate seat at the UN restored, Sri Lanka wasa very vocal advocate. There is another factor we need to remember. China hasstated nowhere that it is interested in territorial acquisitions or buildingbases. It has one base in Djibouti thatservices the global anti piracy effort. China has not asked for or is not lookingfor bases in Sri Lanka.
If we are toraise our heads as an independent nation, economically strong nation, we needthe assistance from countries like China. I personally believe that China’ssupport for Sri Lanka has been very genuine and sincere.
We have planned a whole series ofactivities throughout the year to celebrate the 65th anniversary ofestablishing bilateral relations and concluding the Rubber – Rice Pact. Early in January, we hosted a major tourismpromotion event in collaboration with Sri Lankan Airlines.
There were about 60 or 70 touroperators,travel agents and influencers who came for this promotion.
We treated them to SriLanka food and wine. And in January we curateda major exhibition of SL sapphires in our auditorium hosted by Larwiner, a gemsand jewellery firm with a large collection of Sri Lanka stones worth over 300Mn dollars, there were 60 – 70 attendees, mainly from the trade.
Following that, we noted a tea promotionevent at the Embassy. In addition, weparticipated in an event at the Lingguang Temple which is one of the main templesin Beijing.
We are also planning a verybig investment and trade event once the Covid related restrictions are lifted inApril. We plan to invite about 500 people.
The Embassy launched a Tik Tokaccount in March, at a well attended ceremony. Tik Tok is accessed by over 2 Bn people. Hopefully we will be able to get our message, out to a very largeaudience.
We will host a series of events possibly, oncea month, in addition to the big event later in the year. We would very much like to host a tourismdelegation to Sri Lanka but we are constraint by epidemic related travelrestrictions.
