The Silk Road Journal by Mahika Ming

The Chinese people all over the world are celebrating the 2022 Spring Festival or the Chinese New Year. Chinese President Xi Jinping also extended festival greetings to all Chinese people encouraging them to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. The Chinese are ending the year of the Ox with the record achievement of alleviating poverty in China by raising more than 100 million Chinese above the poverty line. It ensured their right to life and established the moderately prosperous society known as a "Xiaokang" society on the 100^th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (1921 – 2021).

That was China’s first centenary goal. Those who are fighting climate change, famine and deforestation can learn how China contributed towards a cleaner planet, increased food production and increased its forest cover using those living below the poverty line to protect their forests as Rangers. During last year, while alleviating poverty within, China helped many developing countries to fight the COVID 19 pandemic with the medical support given through the Belt and Road network using the Metal Camels of the 21^st Century which connects China with the rest of the world on; rails, roads, sea and air.

China as a nation has a second goal. That is to build a modern socialist country in all respects when the Peoples Republic of China celebrates 100 years in 2049. Analyzing the present way forward it can be predicted with confidence that China will synchronize socioeconomic development and national security to implement new dimensions in win-win cooperation to reach that goal.  Sri Lanka being one win-win cooperation partner has a special responsibility to learn from China. China opened up, attracted the world and became a super power by studying few good stories including Sri Lanka’s Greater Colombo Economic Commission (GCEC). The GCEC act was drafted with inputs from eminent Sri Lankans such as the late Lalith Athulathmudali who had the exposures at Oxford, Harvard and National University of Singapore at a very young age. In October 1977 Lalith Athulathmudali visited China as a special representative of the then Prime Minister J.R. Jayawardena before establishing the GCEC.

The GCEC act should be relooked at if Sri Lanka wishes miracle developments in the COVID aftermath. Those who threw hand grenades instead of eggs at the late Lalith Athulathmudali dragged the country backwards by creating an investor negative society for many decades. It is not clear whether such forces can ever learn from Communist China though they call them Communists. Still it will be good for the people to learn from all weather friends such as China who has stood by Sri Lanka in all seasons including Spring.

The writer is an analyst with interests in the financial and sustainable development sectors with postgraduate exposure in the Far East (mahika.ming@gmail.com).