BEIJING: China and Sri Lanka have outlined a plan to further boost high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, amid a series of agreements they signed on Wednesday to enhance bilateral ties.
President Xi Jinping and visiting Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake witnessed the signing of the cooperation documents between the two countries, including an agreement on Sri Lanka’s export of agricultural products to China, after their official talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Xi told Dissanayake that China will actively support Sri Lanka in focusing on economic development, and will advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, enhance collaboration in fields such as modern agriculture, the digital economy and the marine economy, and create new highlights in bilateral cooperation.In response, the Sri Lankan president said that his country remains committed to joint construction of the Belt and Road to enhance mutual connectivity in the region, and welcomes more investment from Chinese enterprises.
Dissanayake started a four-day state visit to China on Tuesday, and analysts said the trip has far-reaching economic and geopolitical implications. This is his first visit to China since taking office as Sri Lankan president in September, and his second overseas trip, following a visit to India in mid-December.
In recent years, China has deepened its strategic cooperative partnership with Sri Lanka with fruitful outcomes on Belt and Road cooperation, including the building of a container terminal in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, as well as roads and railways, and the development of Hambantota Port and Port City Colombo.
During their talks, Xi emphasized the long-standing traditional friendship between China and Sri Lanka. He said that over the 68 years since they established diplomatic relations, the two countries have maintained a healthy and stable relationship, setting an example of friendly coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between nations. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
