CHENGDU/COLOMBO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- "Thank you for inviting us to participate in Sichuan International Travel Expo, which is very important for us to see how China is blending modernity and heritage. We have learned a lot and established cooperation to run similar events in the future in Sri Lanka," Ruwan Ranasinghe, deputy minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism of Sri Lanka, has told Xinhua.

Ranasinghe, who attended the event from April 25 to 27 in Leshan, China's Sichuan province, said the strengthened opportunities were seen between the two nations. He said the current government has fostered deeper ties through a recent state visit by the Sri Lankan president to China, where multiple agreements on economic, educational and cultural cooperation were signed.

He said that these new agreements lay a foundation for increased investment opportunities for Chinese investors, notably through an extensive Port City project in Colombo, developed in partnership with China.

Ranasinghe, who himself has close personal ties with China, having completed his PhD at Sichuan University in Chengdu between 2014 and 2017, praised Chengdu's rapid infrastructural growth. Pointing to substantial changes since his graduation eight years ago, he described the Chengdu Tianfu International Airport as a symbol of China's rapid development trajectory.

"It's the first time I came back to Sichuan since my graduation eight years ago, I spent one whole day walking in my university, changes are amazing," he said, commenting on the impressive transformation at Sichuan University, particularly its state-of-the-art museum and upgraded campus facilities. That demonstrated China's successful integration of heritage with modernity, he said.

Ranasinghe also emphasized the importance of cultural and people-to-people exchanges through tourism, education, and alumni networks. He said he would establish an organization for Sri Lankan graduates from Chinese universities to enhance cultural understanding and interpersonal connections.

He praised the travel expo for its role in fostering global tourism partnerships, an event hosted annually in Leshan since 2014 to promote international tourism cooperation.

Sri Lanka, known globally for its rich Buddhist heritage spanning over 2,500 years, intends to leverage similar events inspired by Sichuan's successful integration of culture and tourism. Calling the expo a model, Ranasinghe said he hoped to do the same in Sri Lanka.

"We aim to establish similar events in Sri Lanka, fostering deeper cultural and tourism exchanges," he said.