“Human resources are the core resource for development,” said Counsellor Tang Yandi of the Chinese Embassy, in Sri Lanka.
He was speaking at the 2024 China Aid Training Alumni Reception in Colombo.
“Over the past 40 years, the Chinese Government has actively carried out human resource development cooperation with Sri Lanka. In recent years, an average of nearly 1,000 has come to China for training each year.”
China’s foreign aid training programs adheres to the cooperative philosophy of ‘teaching a man to fish’.
“From consulting with the recipient country, designing and implementing projects, to industry and regional distribution, everything is transparent,” he said and added “China customises training projects to align with each country’s development strategies, local needs and levels of progress.”
“We hope to further enhance the level of pragmatic cooperation through the design and implementation of training programs,” he further said.
“China was the first among the official sector creditors to announce an Agreement in Principle (AIP) on the key financial terms for the treatment of debts owed by Sri Lanka to Exim Bank of China,’’ said Treasury and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena.
He added that China has also played a pivotal role in supporting Sri Lanka’s debt treatment efforts in response to the unprecedented, deep and most complex economic crisis experienced since mid-2021.
Chinese envoy, Qi Zhenhong said that the Chinese Government attaches great importance to all-round educational cooperation with Sri Lanka.
“Over the years, it has used foreign aid funds to hold various training programs in China, inviting nearly 13,000 Sri Lankan friends of various circles to participate in seminars in China”, he said.
(SS)
