COLOMBO, May 15 – Government officials, diplomats, and scholars from China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other South Asian countries gathered in Colombo on Wednesday for the 2025 China–South Asia Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development Cooperation. The forum, themed “Deepening Regional Cooperation for South Asia’s Development,” provided a platform to share poverty alleviation experiences and explore practical strategies for addressing regional development challenges.
China’s development cooperation includes a host of impactful projects: from the South-South agricultural initiative that helped Sri Lankan farmers boost yields, to Bangladesh’s Padma Bridge, and Pakistan’s China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which has generated over 200,000 jobs. These cross-border projects are delivering tangible benefits to ordinary people.
The bilateral trade between China and the region doubling over the past decade to nearly USD 200 billion in 2023.
Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong shared striking figures: over the past eight years, China lifted nearly 100 million people out of absolute poverty. “But poverty alleviation is no solo performance—it’s a symphony,” he noted. Mechanisms like China’s South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund have already facilitated capacity-building in agriculture and rural development across the Global South.
Sri Lanka’s Poverty Challenge: Finding Opportunity in Adversity
Hon.
Gamagedara Dissanayake, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Buddhist, Religious and Cultural Affairs, speaking candidly about the island nation’s development struggles—from rural-urban inequality and climate shocks to youth unemployment—he outlined government initiatives like the “Praja Shakthi” program, which aims to convert rural culture into sustainable income sources.
Gamagedara Dissanayake said in his speech that although Sri Lanka has made remarkable progress in healthcare, education, and infrastructure, poverty remains a long-standing challenge, particularly in rural areas and among certain urban groups. He added that China’s success in gaining economic value from cultural heritage is a valuable experience for Sri Lanka. He noted that this forum would serve as a platform to foster exchange of knowledge, identify specific areas for collaboration, and build stronger networks that will contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Qi Zhenhong noted in his speech that China achieved the goal of eliminating extreme poverty and overall regional poverty at the end of 2020, and while advancing its poverty alleviation efforts at home, China extended continuous assistance to other developing countries within its capacity. He said that it has established the China-United Nations Peace and Development Fund and the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, and has promoted cooperation under frameworks such as the East Asia poverty reduction cooperation initiative and the China-Africa cooperation program for poverty reduction and people’s livelihood improvement. He added that through both multilateral and bilateral channels, China has supported capacity-building in developing countries, thereby making a significant contribution to global poverty reduction.
“We aim to improve the living standards of the Sri Lankan people while preserving the country’s beautiful village culture and rich religious traditions. We firmly believe that traditional culture is itself a valuable asset, with great potential to be further explored and transformed into material wealth.
For example, we are keen to promote cultural and festival tourism that highlights the unique character of our villages. Just a few days ago, Sri Lanka celebrated Vesak in the scenic town of Nuwara Eliya. This cultural treasure attracted a large number of visitors and gave a noticeable boost to the local economy during the festival period.”
China’s housing aid has also made an impact. A major low-income housing project in Colombo, supported by China, will deliver 1,996 units across five sites, significantly easing local housing shortages and improving living standards for vulnerable populations.
Pineapples and Progress: How Chinese Technology Is Changing Sri Lanka’s Fields
UN FAO national project specialist Kapila Munasinghe presented what he called “fruit miracles” during the forum. At Sri Lanka’s Makandura Agricultural Research Station, Chinese high-density planting techniques have tripled pineapple yields. In Horana, banana seedling survival rates jumped from under 50% to over 90% due to tissue culture methods. Mango orchards saw 25–30% productivity gains thanks to integrated pest and disease management techniques.
These results stem from the 2023 launch of the China-Sri Lanka South-South Cooperation agricultural project (GCP/SRL/073/CPR), which has gone beyond farm productivity to embrace the full value chain. Mangoes are now processed into sparkling beverages, pineapples into cakes, and the project has attracted private sector participation through public-private partnership models.
Crucially, the project emphasizes local empowerment. More than 2,000 farmers, extension officers, and entrepreneurs have been trained. A forthcoming MoU between China’s Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Agriculture aims to ensure that local experts carry forward the knowledge exchange.
“When farmers realize scientific planting can double their income, poverty ceases to be destiny,” said Munasinghe, summarizing the core logic of using technology for poverty reduction.
Gamagedara Dissanayake said in his speech that although Sri Lanka has made remarkable progress in healthcare, education, and infrastructure, poverty remains a long-standing challenge, particularly in rural areas and among certain urban groups. He added that China’s success in gaining economic value from cultural heritage is a valuable experience for Sri Lanka. He noted that this forum would serve as a platform to foster exchange of knowledge, identify specific areas for collaboration, and build stronger networks that will contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable development.
Qi Zhenhong noted in his speech that China achieved the goal of eliminating extreme poverty and overall regional poverty at the end of 2020, and while advancing its poverty alleviation efforts at home, China extended continuous assistance to other developing countries within its capacity. He said that it has established the China-United Nations Peace and Development Fund and the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, and has promoted cooperation under frameworks such as the East Asia poverty reduction cooperation initiative and the China-Africa cooperation program for poverty reduction and people’s livelihood improvement. He added that through both multilateral and bilateral channels, China has supported capacity-building in developing countries, thereby making a significant contribution to global poverty reduction.
From Forum to Field: Sustaining Momentum for Development
Forum participants agreed: poverty reduction requires more than external aid—it demands the cultivation of internal capacity. Future cooperation will extend to digital agriculture, green energy, and cultural tourism, with innovation and industrial upgrading acting as dual engines for development.
As organizers put it, this cross-Himalayan dialogue was not only a platform for sharing experience, but a catalyst for action. When Chinese know-how meets South Asia’s development aspirations, the vision of a poverty-free South Asia edges closer to reality.
Hosted by the CICG and the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, the event was organized by the CICG Center for Europe and Asia, the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, and the ASLCSCC, and supported by CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd., CCCC Construction Group Co., Ltd., and Ceylonese magazine.
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中国与南亚国家共商减贫合作
科伦坡论坛聚焦农业技术赋能可持续发展
5 月 15 日，“2025 中国 — 南亚国家减贫与发展合作论坛” 在斯里兰卡首都科伦坡举行。来自中国、斯里兰卡、巴基斯坦、孟加拉国等国的政府代表、外交官和专家学者齐聚一堂，围绕 “深化区域合作，助力南亚发展” 主题，分享减贫经验并探讨如何通过务实合作破解贫困难题。
减贫实践：中国经验与南亚需求的深度对接
“南亚地区 35% 的贫困人口，需要我们携手破局。” 中国外文局局长杜占元在论坛致辞中指出，中国与南亚国家的合作早已超越简单的资源互补。在实际项目中，中国助力成效斐然，像帮助斯里兰卡农户增产的南南合作项目、让孟加拉国百姓圆梦的帕德玛大桥、为巴基斯坦创造超 20 万个就业岗位的中巴经济走廊 ，这些跨越山海的合作项目，正让减贫成果惠及更多普通民众。
近年来，中国与南亚国家贸易额增长显著，2023 年双方贸易额接近 2000 亿美元，相比 2013 年翻了一番 ，彰显出合作的强劲动力。
中国驻斯里兰卡大使戚振宏分享了一组震撼数据：过去 8 年，中国通过大规模脱贫攻坚，让近 1 亿人口摆脱绝对贫困。“但我们深知，减贫不是独奏曲，而是交响乐。” 他提到，中国设立的 “南南合作援助基金” 等机制，已在农业技术培训、乡村发展等领域，为全球减贫事业输送了实实在在的中国方案。
斯里兰卡的脱贫攻坚：从挑战中寻找转型机遇
斯里兰卡佛教、宗教与文化事务部副部长伽马格达拉·迪萨纳亚克坦率地谈到了该岛国在发展过程中面临的诸多挑战——从城乡差距扩大、气候冲击到青年失业问题。他介绍了政府正在推动的一些举措，例如“Praja Shakthi”（民众力量）计划，旨在将乡村文化转化为可持续的收入来源。
他说：“我们的目标是在改善斯里兰卡人民生活水平的同时，保护国家美丽的乡村文化和丰富的宗教传统。我们坚信，传统文化本身就是一种宝贵资产，拥有巨大的潜力，可以被进一步挖掘并转化为物质财富。
举例来说，我们非常希望推动以展示村庄独特风貌为特色的文化和节庆旅游。就在几天前，斯里兰卡在风景如画的努沃勒埃利耶庆祝了卫塞节。这一文化瑰宝吸引了大量游客，并在节日期间明显带动了当地经济。”
在住房保障方面，中国的援助也为斯里兰卡低收入人群带来曙光。中国将在科伦坡 5 个地块援建 1996 套低收入人群保障性住房 ，这一项目建成后，将极大缓解当地保障房紧缺状况，提升低收入人群居住环境和生活水平。
菠萝和香蕉的 “减贫密码”：中国技术如何改变斯里兰卡农田
论坛现场，联合国粮农组织（FAO）专家 Kapila Munasinghe 带来了一组 “水果奇迹”：在斯里兰卡马坎杜拉农业研究站，中国专家引入的高密度种植技术让菠萝产量暴涨 3 倍；霍拉纳的香蕉种苗工厂里，组织培养技术将幼苗成活率从不足 50% 提升至 90% 以上；芒果园里，病虫害综合管理技术让果实增产 25%-30%。
这些变化源自 2023 年启动的中斯农业南南合作项目（GCP/SRL/073/CPR）。除了田间技术，中国团队还带来了 “全链条思维”：帮农户把芒果加工成气泡饮，把菠萝制成蛋糕，甚至引入公私合作模式吸引企业投资。更重要的是 “授人以渔”—— 项目培训了 2000 多名农民和技术员，未来还将通过中斯农业合作备忘录，让本土专家接过技术传承的接力棒。
“当农民发现科学种植能让收入翻倍，贫困就不再是宿命。”Munasinghe 的总结，道出了农业技术减贫的核心逻辑。
从论坛到行动：减贫合作如何走深走实
与会者一致认为，减贫不能只靠 “输血”，更要培育 “造血” 能力。接下来，中国与南亚国家将在数字农业、绿色能源、文化旅游等领域深化合作，让技术创新与产业升级成为脱贫的 “双引擎”。正如论坛主办方所言，这场跨越喜马拉雅的对话，不仅是经验的分享会，更是行动的启动器 —— 当中国的技术智慧遇见南亚的发展渴望，一幅 “没有贫困的南亚” 新图景正在徐徐展开。
本次论坛由中国外文局、中国驻斯里兰卡使馆指导，中国外文局中东欧与中南亚传播中心（人民画报社）、当代中国与世界研究院、斯里兰卡中国社会文化合作协会主办，中国港湾科伦坡港口城项目公司、中交建筑集团有限公司、《锡兰华音》杂志协办。