The tenth China-South Asia International Cultural Forum-Video Conference on Health Silk Road was co-held by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries(CPAFFC) and Yunnan province on Nov 3.
About 30 medical and health officials, experts, scholars, and enterprises’ representatives from China, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka had exchanges and discussions on the theme “Build a Global Community of Health for All through Solidarity and Cooperation”. More than 100 people from relevant institutions and universities in China and South Asian countries watched the forum online.
Sun Qun, deputy mayor of Kunming, capital of Yunnan, and authorities of the Ministry of Health of Sri Lanka, delivered opening speeches.
Faced with an epidemic that has wreaked havoc globally, China was among the first countries to call for building a global community of health for all and shared its vaccines with the world, said Lin Songtian, president of CPAFFC.
Lin added that China has been cooperating closely with the World Health Organization, sharing experience in epidemic prevention and control and patient treatment with countries around the world. It has provided more than 1.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 countries and international organizations and provided various anti-epidemic material support to over 150 countries and 13 international orgazitions.
Cui Maohu, deputy head of Yunnan, said Yunnan has conducted extensive exchanges and cooperation with South Asian countries in areas such as economy and trade, culture, and tourism. In the face of the epidemic, Yunnan authorities are willing to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in healthcare and medical education with South Asian countries.
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China Dr. Palitha Kohona highly praised China's anti-epidemic achievements and international anti-epidemic assistance, and said that the Chinese government and enterprises have donated a large amount of medical supplies to Sri Lanka to fight the epidemic, especially in the global shortage of anti-epidemic supplies, demonstrating the spirit of unity and cooperation of the Chinese people.
He also conveyed hope that the two countries will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation in education, tourism, medicine and other fields after the epidemic, and jointly promote the continuous development of Sri Lanka-China relations.
The China-South Asia International Cultural Forum was founded in 2008 and has become an important platform for China and South Asian countries to conduct multilateral cultural exchanges, enhance friendship, and promote cooperation.
