A Sri Lankan delegation has formalised a new partnership with officials fromBazhong City in China’s Sichuan Province, signing a Memorandum of FriendlyCooperation aimed at strengthening ties across culture, tourism, education andtrade.

Friendship cooperation signs with Bazhong city in Sichuan, China
A Sri Lankan delegation has formalised a new partnership with officials from
Bazhong City in China’s Sichuan Province, signing a Memorandum of Friendly
Cooperation aimed at strengthening ties across culture, tourism, education and
trade.
The agreement was signed between the China–Sri Lanka Association for Cultural,
Tourism and Economic & Trade Exchange and the Chinese People’s Association for
Friendship with Foreign Countries of Bazhong City, during an official ceremony
attended by senior government and civil activist representatives from both sides.
Under the MoU, the two parties will work together to enhance mutual understanding
and trust, promote cultural and tourism exchanges, facilitate trade opportunities and
encourage the sharing of resources. The agreement also opens pathways for
establishing future sister-city relationships between Sri Lankan and Chinese
municipalities.
The Sri Lankan delegation was coordinated by the newly established Silk Route
Institute of South Asia (SRISA), a think tank formed to promote knowledge-based
cooperation between the East and the West. The institute aims to support research,
cultural outreach, and international partnerships by serving as a platform for policy
and academic collaboration.
President Seelaratna Senarath signed the MoU on behalf of the China–Sri Lanka
Association for Cultural, Tourism and Economic & Trade Exchange, while Guo
Gang, President of the People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries of
Bazhong City, represented the Chinese side.
The signing ceremony in Bazhong was attended by Vice Mayor Ma Xudong, Deputy
Secretary Generals You Jun and Wang Xingquan, and Zhang Zuoyong from the
city’s Foreign Affairs Office.
The Sri Lankan delegation included Nimal Rathnayake, Private Secretary to the
Deputy Minister of Buddha Sasana and Culture, Harsha B. Abeykoon, Deputy
Director of the Department of Government Information, and K.C. Saranga, General
Manager of Ada Derana, who participated as consultants. Chief Executive Officer
Harshadeva Amarathunga and Education Affairs Consultant Kanthi Senarath
represented the SRISA.
Both sides said the agreement marks a significant step toward deepening
cooperation and expanding opportunities for people-to-people engagement. They
expressed confidence that the partnership would contribute to the social and
economic development of both Sri Lanka and Bazhong City.