In recent years, high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Sri Lanka has been fruitful, adding luster to the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean." Flagship Belt and Road projects like the Colombo International Container Terminal highlight the ongoing success of the partnership.

CHEC has been rooted in Sri Lanka for 27 years, creating over 155,000 local jobs. The company has successfully implemented key projects in Sri Lanka, including the Hambantota Port, Colombo Port City, and the Southern Expressway, contributing wisdom and strength to the country's development.

Located at the Port of Colombo, the terminal has seen continuous upgrades, boosting its throughput from under 600,000 TEUs to 3.35 million TEUs in 2024, and driving the port's expansion.

Colombo Port City

Similarly, Hambantota Port, once a small fishing village, has been transformed into a thriving industrial hub. The port has reached one milestone after another in throughput and cruise ship arrivals. Regular equipment upgrades, expanding container operations, and steady progress on the port's industrial park are driving economic growth.

Jeevan Premasara, senior general manager at Hambantota International Port Group, said the port is not only creating more jobs for the local community but also laying a strong foundation for the future development of Sri Lanka's port industry.

Hambantota Port

From a high vantage point in Colombo, a breakwater curves around the coastline of Colombo Port City, like an arm embracing the shore.

The project was launched in 2014 . It has given rise to a thriving city over the past decade.

On Jan. 10, the marina commercial project in Port City broke ground. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath noted that this development would fill a gap in high-end maritime services in South Asia, attracting tourists and boosting Sri Lanka's regional tourism and investment appeal.

Port City's transformation is not just physical but generational. For young Sri Lankans like Sithmi Maligaspe, who has been part of the project for over a year, its importance lies in its potential to retain talent. "Only by keeping our youth can this country achieve better development," Maligaspe said. Many young Sri Lankans, eager for greater opportunities, are now learning Chinese to tap into advanced industries and management models.

Harsha Amarasekera, chairman of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, envisions the city as a powerful engine for Sri Lanka's economic growth, as well as a regional financial and industrial hub.

As Yasiru Ranaraja, founding director of the Belt and Road Initiative Sri Lanka, put it, "Such Belt and Road cooperation projects have allowed the people of Sri Lanka to see the hope for the future rising from the sea." He looks forward to further cooperation with China in infrastructure, energy and agricultural modernization.

The dynamic Belt and Road cooperation is making real difference in the lives of the Sri Lankan people.

In Sri Lanka's northwestern province of Makandura, Chinese agricultural experts have shared modern techniques with local farmers, building lasting friendships.

In areas affected by chronic kidney disease due to unsafe drinking water, experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have established a water technology center to ensure safe water for communities.

The China-funded Matara-Beliatta railway extension, Sri Lanka's first new railway since 1948, is enhancing public transport and marking a new chapter in the nation's rail history.

Sri Lanka and China have a long history of friendship, and recent cultural exchanges and cooperation have deepened the traditional bond. "I am confident that this will better benefit the peoples of both countries," said Jinith De Silva, president of the Sri Lanka China Society.