Introduction
Sri Lanka China Young Journalists’ Forum was established in May 2001 and was in force as a main association that promoted bilateral relations and goodwill between Sri Lanka and China. Since its inception 18 years ago the Forum has been working to bridge the two countries in close relationship with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka and via the forum’s fullest journalistic capacity.
The forum has performed a dedicated service to improve and share journalists and their experiences between the two countries with opportunities for the local journalists to travel in China with various study and media related workshops, seminars and programmes that have helped in return to extend immense publicity through respective media institutions’ electronic and print media publications about the socio-economic development in China, how the country has become the economic stronghold in the region and the world and how China is helping to improve socio-economic standards of neighboring countries that are developing bilateral and diplomatic ties with China.
The forum launched its exclusive print media publication ‘Mahajana Cheenaya’ (People’s China) magazine in the year 2008 in Sinhalese language that attracted a diverse and vast array of readership including school and university students, professionals of education and other sectors as well as the general public. Since its initiation in 2008, this magazinal publication has been successfully published in time under three Chief Editors who have immensely contributed to the success of its objective to serve as a catalyst knowledge management tool towards effective sharing of knowledge on China and its socio-economic development.
The latest news website of the forum www.lankachinanews.com and the official website www.lankachinajf.com were much recently presented to His Excellency Cheng Xueyuan the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China at a special function held at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Colombo, where both platforms received immense gratitude and recognition of His Excellency the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China.
Parallel to the 10th anniversary of the forum the title of Sri Lanka China Young Journalists’ Forum (SLCYJF) was effectively changed to Sri Lanka China Journalists’ Forum (SLCJF) opening more avenues for journalists and media practitioners to work with the forum to enhance their knowledge on Sri Lanka-China bilateral relations and their developments to better feed the regional and global economy.
Sri Lanka-China Journalists’ Forum as a main China friendly association currently recognized by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China amongst 04 other such associations operated in Sri Lanka, for the last 15 years, has successfully coordinated the national press supplement in all major national newspapers in both Sinhalese and English languages on the Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China. The forum once in every four years’ time, is also responsible of successfully organizing the main event to mark the annual celebration of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China that is held with the initiative of His Excellency the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, the forum has successfully organized this event since the task was vested upon the forum through the years of 2010, 2014 and 2018 being the latest.
In October 2009 Sri Lanka China Journalists Forum (SLCJF) received the opportunity to represent Sri Lanka at the China-South Asian Friendship Organization Forum that was held in Beijing subsequently which paved way to establish the Organization of South Asian Regional Friendship and Cooperation with China -(OSARFCC ) where Sri Lanka – China Young Journalists’ Form became a Founder member.
Fulfilling a long awaited and major requirement in 2018 Sri Lanka China Journalists Forum(SLCJF) Singed MOU with All China Journalists Association (ACJF) to strengthen the bilateral relations in mass communication Sector. Sri Lanka China Journalists Forum has already extended its consent to became a Founder Member of the Belt and Road Journalists Network (BJRN) to be established in future .
The forum has also signed an agreement with the Chongqing Normal University of the People’s Republic of China in December 2018 for the purpose of sharing journalists between the two countries on scholarship basis and the first batch of journalists from Sri Lanka under this new agreement is scheduled to leave Sri Lanka to China for the inaugural study course tour in October 2019.
The forum through its silent journey of 18 years is proud of its achievements that have immensely assisted to boost bilateral relations between the two friendly nations in its best journalistic capacities towards greater diplomacy between Sri Lanka and China.
