A Shared Path | A "city on the sea" bears aspirations of Sri Lankans

STORY: A Shared Path | A "city on the sea" bears aspirations of Sri Lankans DATELINE: Oct. 18, 2023 LENGTH: 00:08:11 LOCATION: Beijing CATEGORY: ECONOMY STORYLINE: Sri Lanka, a "gem in the Indian Ocean." The vast expanse of the sea has always been a blessing for locals. However, it also limits the island country's potential for development. Puttalam Village Sri Lanka SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Local resident, and his son Son: "Dad, I don't want to be a fisherman when I grow up." Father: "Then, what do you want to do?" Son: "I'd like to do something that no one in our village has ever done before." Father: "Son, what's that indeed?" Son: Dad, do you think a city can grow from the sea? Sanjeewa Fernando couldn't answer his son's question. But maybe he could give him an answer the second day. SOUNDBITE (Sinhalese): SANJEEWA FERNANDO, Local resident "Son, tomorrow I'm going to the port city for a job interview. Wanna come along?" Explorers are bound to succeed. -- A Sri Lankan proverb Ferna