Pathfinder Foundation signs MOU with Chinese Communist Party think-tank

The ‘China-Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre’ of the Pathfinder Foundation (PF) inked a MOU with the Chinese Communist Party affiliated China Centre for Contemporary World Studies (CCCWS), which engages in research in international issues, study on political parties, political systems in foreign countries, China’s foreign strategies, socialist theories, trends in social and political thoughts and comparative study of development models.

Milinda Moragoda, Founder of the Pathfinder Foundation invited Xu Yongquan, Deputy Director General and Luxman Siriwardena, Executive Director, PF and Director, China-Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre on behalf of CCCWS and Pathfinder Foundation to sign the MOU.

In pursuit of its objectives CCCWS conducts exchanges and academic discussions with foreign political party think tanks and research institutes. In this regard, CCCWS has established close ties with domestic political party think tanks, government institutions, universities, as well as research institutes. 

The Centre has also established a global network of academic exchanges and cooperation with foreign research institutes in the USA, UK, Germany, Russia, Japan, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, DPRK, Brazil, India, South Africa, Israel, etc. With the Pathfinder Foundation signing of the MOU, Sri Lanka became the latest country to be to be added to their extensive network of cooperation.

The Council of CCCWS comprises Influential political personalities as well as experts and scholars from local and foreign academic institutions. 

Wang Jiarui, vice-Chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People’s political Consultative Conference and Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), is the Honorary Chairman of the CCCWS Council and Guo Yezhou, Vice Minister of IDCPC functions as its Chairman.

Signing of the MOU was preceded by a round-table discussion between the two institutions covering several broad subjects. These included ‘How to consolidate the outcome of Silk Road International Cooperation Forum held in May, through Sri Lanka- China Cooperation?’‘How should South Asian countries and China promote economic growth and social progress by building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road?’ and ‘Suggestions and opinions about cooperation among countries along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road?’

The CCCWS delegation consisted Xu Yongquan (Deputy Director General), Xu Xu, (Director of International Relations and Cooperation and Research Fellow), Li Dingxin, (Research Fellow), and Nie Shengquan (Research Assistant and Interpreter). Pathfinder Foundation was represented by Bernard Goonetilleke (Chairman), Luxman Siriwardena (Executive Director, PF and Director, China-Sri Lanka Cooperation Studies Centre), Admiral Dr. Jayanath Colombage (Director-Centre for Indo-Lanka Initiatives) and Ameera Arooz (Project Manager).