For the very first time after establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and China in 1957,
on the 17th January 2014, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka awarded 10 organisations as the “Top 10 Partners of China”.
Chinese Ambassador His Excellency Wu Jianghao presented the Award to Mr. Ananda Goonatilleke, Attorney-at-Law, at the Chinese New Year
Celebrations held at the BMICH on January 17, 2014, in the presence of President ofSri Lanka His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa,
Prime Minister Hon. D.M.Jayaratne, the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party ( the present President of Sri Lanka )
Hon. Maithripala Sirisena and the Minister of External Affairs Hon. Prof. G.L.Peiris
The Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association (SLCFA) was given the No. 02 Award.
Runners up only to the “SWRD Bandaranaike National Memorial Foundation”, a State Institution created by an Act of Parliament,
then Chaired by the Prime Minster of Sri Lanka. As the Chinese Embassy is the entity that represent the State of the
People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka in accordance with the International Law and U.N. Conventions,
the decision of the Chinese Embassy to uphold the SLCFA as No.2 “Top 10 Partner of China” is a precedence
established by a diplomatic proclamation in the presence of the President and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka,
which could only be altered or annulled by an exactly similar proclamation.
The SLCFA was the only entity engaged in People to People friendship activities to be hailed up to this position and
was thus duly recognised by the People’s Republic of China as the prestigious pioneer and the prominent partner
in the field of friendship promotion activities in Sri Lanka.
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