SLCJF gives facelift to ‘People’s China’ with new team and additions

By Harsha Udayakantha Peiris

The Sri Lanka-China Journalists’ Forum (SLCJF) recently launched the second issue of the third volume of their publication ‘Mahajana Cheenaya’ (People’s China) under a new editorial and the first copy of the magazine was handed over to Han Tao,

the Political Counselor and the Acting Ambassador of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Colombo 7 recently.

In order to offer first hand information on the history, socio-economic development, culture and literature, life styles as well as food life concepts in China, ‘Mahajana Cheenaya’ was started by Sri Lanka China Journalists’ Forum in 2008 as a Sinhalese magazine that is published once in every two months.

The Sri Lanka-China Journalists’ Forum is a collaboration of dedicated print and electronic media personnel who serves towards the worthy course of promoting and developing bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and China for more than a decade since its inception in the year 2000.

With the completion of 10 years of dedicated service supported towards the bilateral relations and the mutual integrity between Sri Lanka and China by SLCJF, the Sinhalese publication of the Forum has been given a new face lift under a new editorial to bring out the latest and the most reliable as well as picturesque information on China that would be helpful to the majority of local readership who is eager to learn, study as well as know about China.

Duminda Sanjaeewa Balasuriya, a renowned senior journalist of Wijeya Newspapers Ltd., one of the leading national newspaper institutions in Sri Lanka, works as the new Chief Editor of the magazine.

The new ‘Mahajana Cheenaya’ with 36 colourfully laid out pages and with a number of new additions between the pages also acts as a reliable source of updated information on China, that is useful for school and university students, journalists as well as educationists who would like to derive first hand and latest information on China in Sinhalese.

Expressing views at the occasion of receiving the first copy of the magazine, Han Tao said that the SLCJF had performed a commendable service to boost bilateral relations between China and Sri Lanka.

“We hope that the dedication of SLCJF would stand faithful even in the years to come as our bilateral relations are very important to increase understanding and friendship,” he added.

He also said that the Embassy would seek assistance of the SLCJF to make a number of events, including Chinese delegations due to visit Sri Lanka in the near future, a success.

Speaking at the occasion, Nalin Aponso, SLCJF President stated that the forum is much thankful to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka for its continued assistance and timely contributions towards the forum to perform its services uninterrupted, towards the bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and China.

He said that attention has also been drawn to commence a Chinese language teaching page for the Sinhalese readership through the Forum’s publication ‘Mahajana Cheenaya’ in the near future.

At the recent opening of the ‘Window to China’ programme established in Sri Lanka in order to act as the local component of the international programme on China worldwide, ‘Mahajana Cheenaya’ Sinhalese publication and SLCJF were exclusively recognised as major catalysts that initiated and directed to open such a programme at the National Library and Documentation Services Board in Colombo.

Shi Bin of the Cultural Section of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka, Jagath Perera – the former President of SLCJF, Saranga Wijeyarathne – Secretary of SLCJF, Duminda Sanjeewa Balasuriya – Chief Editor of ‘Mahajana Cheenaya’ magazine and Chamara Ranmandala – Chief Organiser of SLCJF were also present at the occasion of handing over the first copy of the magazine at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka.