The Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Dr. Palitha Kohona delivers a speech at the 8th Global Diplomats' Chinese Cultural Night. Photo: Courtesy of Embassy of Sri Lanka in China

The 8th Global Diplomats' Chinese Cultural Night was held in Beijing on March 30 with the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, which was attended by diplomats from 163 countries in China, as well as Chinese entrepreneurs and scholars of traditional culture. 

The Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Dr. Palitha Kohona has been designated the Chairman of the event. Addressing the gathering, Kohona praised China for having made tremendous economic progress since opening-up. He said that China's successful elimination of absolute poverty, consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goal I, was an unprecedented achievement in human history. He went on to say that the elimination of poverty was an aspiration of all countries, to realize a world "where poverty, hunger and deprivation do not stalk anyone." He also emphasized the need to deal with the threat of climate change which needed to be addressed as a priority for the sake of "our children and their children."  

"We treasure the strong bonds with our dear friend China, with whom we enjoy a relationship that goes back over 2,000 years. Over time, we have stood by each other whether, confronting challenges domestically or internationally. We will never forget the solidarity demonstrated by China when we really needed international support," he added. 

Sri Lanka's Kandyan dancing duo was a major attraction during the event. And this year's event was a comprehensive display of China's excellent traditional culture which showcases Chinese incense culture, traditional flower arrangement, Chinese tea culture, Chinese ceramics, Chinese study.