The 2026 China-Sri Lanka Media Cooperation and Exchange Seminar opened Friday in Colombo, drawing more than 80 government officials, journalists and scholars from both countries.

Speaking at the event, Kaushalya Ariyarathne, Sri Lanka's deputy minister of mass media, said recent progress in bilateral media collaboration demonstrates that the press is no longer mere a means of transmitting information, but a vital tool for fostering mutual understanding and strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties between the two societies.

Both Sri Lanka and China regard media as an important area of bilateral cooperation and see a shared need to tackle challenges and opportunities brought by new technologies, she said, adding that the seminar can help advance sustainable media dialogue and cooperation.

Participants agreed that as China and Sri Lanka deepen their friendship through economic cooperation, regional connectivity, infrastructure development, and cultural and scientific exchanges, the role of media organizations will grow even more important. They stressed that media must responsibly report on development achievements, clearly explain the essence of cooperation, and promote mutual respect, working together to advance the China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future.

Following the seminar, the two sides jointly released the Colombo Initiative on China-Sri Lanka Media Cooperation and the China-Sri Lanka Media Cooperation Action Plan, charting a new path for exchanges and collaboration between their media sectors.