"Today, we are not only celebrating our shared history, but also looking to the future," she said, adding that the Sri Lankan capital looks forward to greater knowledge exchanges and broader pragmatic cooperation.

　　Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong said the friendship between the two countries has been forged through centuries of exchanges along the Maritime Silk Road.

　　He recalled the journeys of the Chinese Buddhist monk Faxian to Sri Lanka in search of Buddhist scriptures, the voyages of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) navigator Zheng He, and the historic Rubber-Rice Pact signed in 1952 despite external pressure — milestones that he said have shaped bilateral ties.

　　Looking ahead, Qi said the dialogue could serve as a new platform to expand cooperation between Ningbo and Colombo in trade, industry, science and technology, and cultural exchanges.

　　He also called for better leveraging the complementary strengths of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, the world's largest port by cargo throughput, and the Port of Colombo to expand bilateral trade and investment, while contributing to the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

　　Ranji Weragoda, chairman of Sri Lanka-China Trade, Commerce and Economic Council at the Association for Sri Lanka-China Social and Cultural Cooperation, said the dialogue should lead to practical and long-term cooperation, including regular exchange programs for young artists, joint coastal tourism initiatives, and research on maritime civilization and smart port collaboration.

　　For Gamini Ranasinghe, a professor of history and archaeology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, archaeological discoveries offer compelling evidence of the deep historical ties linking the two civilizations.

　　Chinese shipwrecks, coins and celadon unearthed at several Sri Lankan ports testify to centuries of maritime commerce, he noted.