India & SL share deep Buddhist roots. Emperor Ashoka with an eye for the future secured stability in the region by internationalizing the Buddhist civilization. Those who analyze India, China & SL conflicts will have to consider scientific developments & climate change challenges in addition to social & cultural issues in future. Below are two key developments with that regard.

Chinese scientists using approx 35% of the capacity of the ‘China Sky Eye’ (500 meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope - FAST), have built the largest ever high quality catalog of Neutral Hydrogen (HI) sources (41,741 sources) beyond Earth’s Galaxy (Milky Way). FAST is world's largest single dish radio telescope. Its reception area is equal to 30 standard football fields. FAST is operating from Guizhou Province since 2020. ‘China Sky Eye’ is designed to cover the entire sky visible. These findings are believed to be higher in numbers & quality than other catalogs by other states (Ref. Chinese Academy of Sciences)

A Physics laboratory 2400 meter underground in China commenced operations recently. It is the deepest & the largest underground lab in the world. Known as the Deep Underground & Ultra low Radiation Background Facility (DURF), it is located under the Jinping Mountain in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (Sichuan province). It has a total room capacity of 330,000 cubic meters & is expected to provide a "clean" space to pursue invisible substance known as ‘Dark Matter’. The depth will help block most cosmic rays which will mess with the observations & DURF is exposed only to a 1/ 100,000,000 of cosmic rays compared to Earth's surface. (Ref. Tsinghua University). However, its human behavior in the end & below is a good lesson to change behavior.

Lesson to secure societies

The Chinese Envoy in the UK Zheng Zeguang recently published an article on 'China's ethnic policy & governance' in Nouvelles d'Europe. Sri Lankans are concerned on governance as 2024 is an Election year but one might feel that little do they focus on the ethnic policy. It is a matter which can be twisted to affect a stable SL & India in the end. SL’s ethnic mix is a good platform to go global. Therefore, an eye for the future is a must for Sri Lankans.

Historically they got carried away at elections & got internationally abandoned on many occasions.  Internationalizing with a plural attitude will help attract investors from USA, EU & Australia etc. SL can use the Belt & Road network to facilitate that with a win-win approach with India & China. It may fast track development & increase SL revenue while providing space for India to focus on its internal matters. Ambassador Zheng’s views therefore, are note worthy.

He recognized the key four features of the Chinese society which are equality, autonomy, development, & unity. China is home to approx. 1.4 billion representing 56 ethnic groups. China practices a system of regional ethnic autonomy with mechanisms to protect the languages & cultures of all ethnic minorities. To explain above diversity Zheng explained below topics.

• Equality: All 56 ethnic groups are equal regardless of their size & are entitled to participate in the governance of state affairs.
• Autonomy: In areas with a sizable population of ethnic minorities live, regional autonomy is practiced. (China has; five provincial ethnic autonomous regions including Xinjiang, Xizang, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, & Ningxia, 30 ethnic autonomous prefectures & 20 ethnic autonomous counties).
• Development: China is promoting modernization that features common prosperity with no ethnic group left behind. (Note: statistics including the life expectancy & literacy rates in Xinjiang & Tibet etc. should be studied by those with concerns).
• Unity: China's 55 ethnic minorities have a combined population of 125 million. A total of 28 written languages & 72 spoken languages are used by the country's 55 ethnic minorities. There are 144,000 registered religious activity sites in China. It includes more than 35,000 mosques, 33,500 Buddhist temples, & about 60,000 Christian churches & gathering venues.

Conclusion: China's ethnic policy is rooted in its unique history & culture. It has its own development logic. China has found the right path to manage ethnic issues with Chinese characteristics in line with its own national conditions. Ambassador Zheng concludes his paper with an open invitation expressing China’s readiness to strengthen exchanges with other countries & learn from each other's ethnic policy & governance. Sri Lankans should act as they have to restructure their economy for their own benefit.

(Views expressed are personal).