Delegation from the All-China Environment Federation Visits Cevia Enviro Inc. and Henan Environment Federation to Explore New Opportunities for Green “Belt and Road” Ecological Cooperation

To deepen international cooperation in ecological industries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and to promote the sharing of environmental protection technologies and the implementation of joint projects, on the morning of June 13, a delegation led by Mr. Shi Xiang, Secretary-General of the Belt and Road Eco-Industry Cooperation Working Committee of the All-China Environment Federation (ACEF), visited Cevia Enviro Inc. for an exchange visit. Participants included Professor Ajith Priyal de Alwis, PIFI scholar at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Fellow of the Sri Lanka Academy of Sciences; Mr. Wei Yuansong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Director of the Water Pollution Control Laboratory at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The two parties held in-depth discussions on solid waste treatment, water management, and international environmental cooperation.

During the technical exchange session, Mr. Li Gang, Deputy General Manager of Cevia Enviro Energy Co., Ltd., and Mr. Han Xiaofeng, Deputy General Manager of Cevia Water, shared their experiences in intelligent management practices for solid waste treatment and water operations respectively. Professor Ajith presented a comprehensive overview of Sri Lanka's pressing need for technical cooperation in the field of solid waste management, based on the country's national context. He further emphasized Sri Lanka's great potential in water management and environmental governance, and encouraged Chinese enterprises to actively participate in the construction of Sri Lanka’s water supply and drainage systems and waste-to-resource projects. By leveraging technical exchange and project implementation, Chinese companies can further expand their overseas presence.

Dr. Wang Yawei, a researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a presentation titled “Belt and Road Science and Technology Cooperation”, showcasing China’s international collaborations in water environment management. He highlighted successful examples such as rural drinking water safety assurance models and the innovative cooperation model of the China–Sri Lanka Water Environment Center, which lay a solid foundation for future cooperation and contribute to the realization of green and sustainable development goals in BRI partner countries.

During the open discussion session, participants engaged in enthusiastic dialogue about environmental industry cooperation among countries along the BRI. Secretary-General Shi Xiang pointed out that fields such as renewable energy, solid waste disposal, and water environment governance hold promising prospects for international cooperation. Based on the real needs of BRI countries, he emphasized that Chinese enterprises “going global” must focus on the following key areas:

First, strengthen systematic training in the early stages, with a focus on improving geopolitical risk assessment and deep understanding of host countries’ legal and regulatory frameworks.

Second, address the current shortcomings in emergency response capabilities.

Third, actively carry out capacity-building in climate and environmental fields, strengthen environmental awareness to support project implementation, and continuously deepen technical exchange and cooperation to promote the localization of advanced environmental protection technologies.

These efforts will provide solid support for the green and sustainable development of BRI countries and jointly promote a path toward mutually beneficial and win-win development.

Group photo of the delegation

This visit built a pragmatic platform for Sino-foreign environmental cooperation. Going forward, the participating parties will continue to strengthen coordination in technology R&D, joint project development, and international standard-setting to contribute to the high-quality development of the Green Belt and Road.

In the afternoon, to strengthen collaboration with local environmental forces and jointly promote the international expansion of green enterprises, the ACEF delegation visited the Henan Environment Federation. The two parties held in-depth discussions on industrial cooperation and technological innovation for green brand enterprises going global. Attending the meeting were Mr. Cai Hui, Vice President of the Henan Environment Federation, Secretary-General Mr. Wang Weihua, and representatives of several local environmental enterprises, who gathered to explore new opportunities for green development cooperation.

Symposium Venue

The meeting was chaired by Vice President Cai Hui, who extended a warm welcome to the ACEF delegation and expressed his hope that the meeting would jointly promote both the “bringing in” and the “going out” of environmental technologies, build high-quality platforms for enterprises, and provide intellectual support.

Professor Ajith, Fellow of the Sri Lanka Academy of Sciences and senior professor at the University of Moratuwa, focused on Sri Lanka's needs and project examples in the areas of waste valorization and clean energy. Mr. Wang Yawei, Senior Engineer from the Chinese Academy of Sciences team, systematically shared China's technical advantages and overseas project experience in water environment management and ecological restoration. Ms. Du Yang, Assistant Secretary-General of the Belt and Road Eco-Industry Cooperation Working Committee and Director of the International Department at ACEF, gave a detailed presentation on the "Going Global Plan," which drew keen interest and enthusiastic responses from the participating enterprise representatives.

The Henan Environment Federation invited representatives of local member companies to speak. Many enterprises introduced their core businesses and their international expansion demands in fields such as wastewater treatment, solid waste disposal, and clean energy. The two sides held pragmatic discussions on how to utilize the BRI platform to promote enterprise internationalization. Topics discussed included:

Feasibility analysis of China–Sri Lanka environmental technology cooperation;

Modes of cooperation such as technology introduction and joint R&D;

Implementation potential of the “1441 Initiative” in Henan;

Policy support for enterprise overseas expansion;

Optimization of international service mechanisms for enterprises.

Director Wei Yuansong emphasized that talent development is particularly critical in the process of international expansion. He also suggested establishing communication channels with host country governments and chambers of commerce to efficiently utilize resources.

Secretary-General Shi Xiang will continue to play its role as a bridge, integrating high-quality domestic and international resources, assisting Henan environmental enterprises in exploring global markets, promoting the global sharing of green technologies, and contributing to building a shared future for humanity.

This exchange provided an efficient dialogue platform for regional environmental organizations, scientific research institutions, and enterprises. In the next phase, a cooperation list will be compiled, and efforts will be made to accelerate the implementation of concrete projects to support the high-quality development of the Green Belt and Road.

Group Photo