The China-Sri Lanka Academic Forum on Tropical Marine Environmental Changes was successfully held in Guangzhou on March 24. The event brought over 60 experts and scholars from both nations to discuss collaborative research and sustainable marine development.
The forum was organized by the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and was co-hosted by the China-Sri Lanka Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Tropical Oceanography and the China-Sri Lanka Joint Center for Education and Research, CAS.
Distinguished attendees included Mr. Hon. Rathna Gamage, Deputy Minister od Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Sri Lanka; Prof. Sanath Hettiarachchi, Chairman of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency, Sri Lanka; Prof. P.A. Jayantha, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka; Prof. Terney Pradeep Kumara, Director of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department of Sri Lanka; Mrs. Lashinka Dammullage, Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Guangzhou; Mrs. Huifang Yang, Second-Level Inspector of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province; Mrs. Haihua Gong, Director of the Division of Asian and African Affairs at the Bureau of International Cooperation of CAS; and Prof. Chaolun Li, Director General of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, CAS.
In his opening remarks, Chaolun Li summarized the productive scientific achievements between the SCSIO and Sri Lankan institutions in the past two decades. He hope that both sides will actively expand their research fields and further deepen cooperation in areas such as marine disaster prediction and forecasting, marine biology and ecology, and marine geology, to make continuous contributions to researches in Indian Ocean.
Deputy Minister, Mr. Hon. Rathna Gamage highly appreciated the long-standing cooperation between the two countries. "This visit has allowed me to witness China's rapid development," he stated, "The friendly and fruitful collaborations between Sri Lanka and China provide valuable experience and inspiration for our national development." He wishes to further deepen cooperations in cutting-edge marine science and technology between two nations in the future.
Mrs. Huifang Yang highlighted the historical role of Guangzhou as the origin of the Maritime Silk Road, and emphasized the long-standing friendship between China and Sri Lanka. She called for significantly strengthened cooperation in marine science and marine sustainability to contribute to high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative and a shared future for the ocean.
The forum featured academic presentations on key topics including joint Indian Ocean scientific expeditions, aquaculture, coastal environments, biodiversity, genetic resources, marine disasters, and climate effects. Experts held in-depth discussions on tropical Indian Ocean studies, acknowledging its critical role in climate and biodiversity research, and exchanged ideas on future multidisciplinary collaboration opportunities. The forum was co-chaired by Prof. Changsheng Zhang, Director of the China-Sri Lanka Joint Center for Education and Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Deputy Director General of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Prof. Weiqiang Wang, Director of the China-Sri Lanka Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Tropical Oceanography; and Prof. Terney Pradeep Kumara, Director of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management Department of Sri Lanka.
