China, Sri Lanka call for closer media cooperation to build mutual trust

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.

As new technologies such as AI and digital media reshape international communication, media organizations from both sides should serve as bridges for cultural exchange and amplify the collective voice of the Global South, they said.

"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 Health and Mass Media of Sri Lanka, in the opening address 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 internationally acclaimed science fiction series The Three-Body Problem to be translated and broadcast in Sri Lanka.

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

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

Fan Daqi, vice-president of the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, said: "China-Sri Lanka friendship has spanned millennia and remains as vibrant as ever."

He cited the ancient Chinese monk Faxian and the peaceful voyages of Admiral Zheng He as examples of the long-standing ties between the two countries, as well as the Rubber-Rice Pact in the 1950s and more recent cooperation involving Hambantota Port and Port City Colombo.

"Media organizations should build consensus to drive joint efforts and establish robust mechanisms to ensure long-term cooperation," he added.

Held under the theme "Trust and Win-Win: Media Responsibility in Building the China-Sri Lanka Community with a Shared Future", the seminar brought together more than 80 guests from government agencies, media outlets, think tanks, and universities in China and Sri Lanka.

During the event, delegates witnessed the launch of the Colombo Initiative on China-Sri Lanka Media Cooperation and an accompanying action plan, marking concrete steps toward turning bilateral consensus into practical collaboration.

The event was hosted by the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, the largest television broadcaster in Sri Lanka, and organized by the Yunnan International Communication Center for South and Southeast Asia and the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation.

shaoxinying@chinadaily.com.cn