NINGBO SHOWCASES SMART MANUFACTURING AT COLOMBO CULTURAL EXCHANGE

KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- The cultural exchange event, Encounter & Insight: Dialogue Between Ningbo, China and Colombo, Sri Lanka, brought together representatives from the two port cities to discuss integrated port-city development and bilateral economic and trade connectivity.

According to a statement, the cross-Indian Ocean dialogue, held recently in Colombo, echoes the ancient Maritime Silk Road while highlighting Ningbo's efforts to build a new global trade landscape powered by smart manufacturing.

A thousand years ago, merchant vessels from Mingzhou Port carried Yue Kiln celadon porcelain south through Ceylon to markets across the Indian Ocean, while gemstones and spices travelled the same route back to regions south of the Yangtze River.

Today, the cargo carried by giant cargo ships has undergone a dramatic transformation. Beyond traditional daily necessities, intelligent equipment, digital home appliances and industrial robots now dominate shipments.

Official statistics show that Ningbo's exports of intelligent equipment, including mechanical arms and industrial robots, hit 440 million Chinese yuan in 2025, surging more than 40 per cent year-on-year. (100 Chinese yuan = RM59.95)

Furthermore, Ningbo's exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 247 billion Chinese yuan during the first five months of this year, up 4.1 per cent year-on-year and accounting for 58.0 per cent of the city's total exports.

Complementing the Colombo forum, an exhibition highlights Ningbo's outstanding going-global enterprises and their products, vividly illustrating the profound shift in Ningbo's trade structure.

Leveraging Colombo Port's transshipment advantages, massive volumes of Ningbo smart manufactured goods are distributed onward to Europe, the Middle East and beyond. The city now exports not only products but also integrated solutions combining technology, brand value and after-sales services.

During the twin-city story-sharing session, Ningbo entrepreneurs based in Sri Lanka and local designers blending Chinese and Sri Lankan aesthetics shared stories of bilateral exchanges. Economic and trade ties have evolved into a bond for people-to-people communication, bridging divides in cross-cultural trade.

From Tang Dynasty celadon porcelain shipped across the Indian Ocean to intelligent equipment exported worldwide, Ningbo has preserved its long tradition of openness. Today, smart manufacturing underpins a stable, diversified and higher value-added global trade network.

-- BERNAMA