About the Interviewee
Prof. Dr. He Hongmei, Director of the Institute of South Asian Studies, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, China
Strategically located in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka serves as a vital node under the development of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. In recent years, the country has rolled out and advanced its Digital Sri Lanka development strategy, leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) to drive economic structural transformation. Meanwhile, the Colombo Port City is being built into a hub aggregating modern service industries and the digital economy catering to South Asia and the rest of the world.
China has accumulated mature technologies and industrial practices in digital sectors including 5G communications, fintech and smart logistics, and continuously shares its digital development experience with countries along the Belt and Road. Harnessing respective industrial strengths to pursue coordinated development of the digital economy has emerged as a high-growth cooperation frontier within the China-Sri Lanka Strategic Cooperative Partnership.
Question 1
Thank you for accepting this exclusive interview. When China-Sri Lanka cooperation is mentioned in the past, most people think of landmark port and infrastructure projects such as the Port of Colombo and Hambantota Port. Today, the digital economy has become a new highlight of bilateral ties. From your perspective, what strategic value does China-Sri Lanka digital economic cooperation carry?
Response
This marks a richer, more sophisticated upgrade of bilateral cooperation. Sri Lanka commands a commanding position along key east-west shipping lanes across the Indian Ocean, endowing it with unparalleled geographical advantages. In the 21st century, connectivity extends far beyond maritime shipping routes to the interflow of digital bits.
For Sri Lanka, growing its digital economy represents a critical pathway to industrial restructuring and fostering high-value-added sectors. For China, deepened digital economic cooperation with Sri Lanka enables pragmatic exchanges on digital development built on both sides’ industrial strengths. Joint cooperation can integrate traditional marine industries with the digital sector, advance coordinated development between physical ports and digital industrial platforms, and support Sri Lanka in building a digital circulation hub serving South Asia and the broader Indian Ocean Rim.
Question 2
Sri Lanka boasts a relatively high-caliber workforce and a solid foundation in software development. In your view, what core priorities should China and Sri Lanka focus on to fully align their respective strengths in current digital economic cooperation?
Response
China and Sri Lanka enjoy a solid foundation for digital industrial collaboration, which can be advanced along four key pragmatic avenues:
First, advance the development of digital service carriers within Colombo Port City. As a flagship bilateral cooperation project and Sri Lanka’s core platform for international finance and innovation clustering, Colombo Port City can draw on China’s proven industrial experience in smart cities, cross-border digital services, digital payments and blockchain finance. China can assist the port city in building high-standard digital pilot zones and offshore digital service clusters tailored to local demand.
Second, develop modern smart logistics and digital trade. Building on Sri Lanka’s port advantages, China’s Internet of Things (IoT), big data and intelligent warehousing technologies can be introduced to upgrade its ports into smart ports. Meanwhile, cross-border e-commerce platforms will create more efficient channels for Sri Lanka’s specialty products including gemstones, Ceylon black tea and spices to reach consumers in China and global markets.
Third, roll out people-centric digital public services. Sri Lanka is vigorously advancing digital governance, smart healthcare and digital education. Chinese enterprises have extensive large-scale implementation experience in government cloud platforms, telemedicine and online education systems. They can carry out technical adaptation and customized development aligned with local needs to make digital services accessible to ordinary citizens.
Fourth, jointly build a digital talent cultivation system. Sri Lanka’s youth population enjoys solid educational foundations and holds great potential for software industry growth. Chinese and Sri Lankan universities and tech enterprises can jointly launch digital incubators and organize ICT skills training programs to cultivate future-ready digital engineers, converting Sri Lanka’s demographic dividend into digital dividend.
Question 3
With these core cooperation priorities identified, what innovative models and pathways can China and Sri Lanka adopt to move implementation forward?
Response
I believe China-Sri Lanka digital cooperation should break away from traditional single-track investment models and develop a multi-layered industrial cooperation framework featuring two-way empowerment and mutual benefit.
First, advance alignment and adaptation of digital rules and application standards. Based on each side’s respective digital development roadmaps, the two countries can conduct forward-looking exchanges and coordinated alignment in civilian-use areas such as smart city construction codes, digital identity authentication and interoperable electronic payment systems, lowering barriers for bilateral digital trade and public service collaboration.
Second, galvanize market-based coordination between diverse government and private stakeholders. While large enterprises lay the groundwork for cooperation, deeper ties should be fostered between private tech firms and startup teams from both nations to leverage complementary strengths. Chinese tech innovators can export mature technologies and market operational experience, while local Sri Lankan companies contribute on-the-ground market insights and regional distribution networks to co-develop digital products and services customized for South Asian and Middle Eastern markets.
Third, integrate digital transformation with green and low-carbon industries. By combining digital upgrading with sustainable development and cooperating on new energy and energy-saving green technologies, the two sides can jointly construct low-carbon, energy-efficient data centers and other digital infrastructure in Sri Lanka to support green, sustainable growth of its digital industries
Question 4
Looking ahead, what are your long-term expectations for China-Sri Lanka digital economic cooperation? What new meaning will it inject into the time-honored friendship between the two countries?
Response
I hold an extremely optimistic outlook for China-Sri Lanka digital cooperation. The age-old friendship between China and Sri Lanka is etched into history through landmark milestones such as the monk Faxian’s journey westward and the Rubber-Rice Pact. Today, digital cooperation is writing a new chapter for this traditional friendship in the digital era.
Moving forward, seamless digital connectivity will transcend geographical distances and enable more efficient, closer exchanges between citizens and industrial entities of both countries. Pragmatic digital cooperation will continuously fuel the upgrading of Sri Lanka’s digital industries and its economic growth, while unlocking new growth drivers for overall China-Sri Lanka pragmatic cooperation.
In the long run, joint practices in inclusive digital services, digital capacity building and digital trade will offer valuable experience for equal, mutually beneficial digital cooperation among developing countries, allowing the centuries-old bilateral friendship to thrive with renewed vitality in the digital age.