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.
Xi said that China-Sri Lanka relations now face historical opportunities to build on past achievements and open up new prospects. He called on both sides to handle their relationship from a strategic perspective and work together to build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future.
China has pledged to take Sri Lanka at the forefront of its foreign relations, and pledges nonstop in the country to safeguard its national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its independent choice of development form. National conditions, he says.
XI Confidence Disanayake that as China is committed to deepening reform into comprehensive progress and making modernization progress, new opportunities will be created for Sri Lanka’s progression.
He also expressed the will of the country to coordination and cooperation with Sri Lanka in multilateral establishments such as the United Nations, and the paintings in combination to deal with main global demanding situations such as climate change.
Both countries should uphold unity and self-improvement among the countries of the Global South to contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity, Xi added.
Dissanayake has expressed appreciation for China’s vital achievements in the fields of economy, generation and infrastructure, saying that China has been a reliable friend and spouse of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka highly values its relationship with China, firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and appreciates China’s valuable support in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests, he said.
He expressed Sri Lanka’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with China in a broad range of areas including infrastructure, energy, agriculture, finance, poverty reduction, digital transformation, tourism and personnel training.
By pointing out that China is a prominent country in the global south and plays a positive role in foreign affairs, Dissanayake said Sri Lanka was willing to continue coordinating and mutual help with China in a multilateral framework to protect their non -unusual interests.
Before their talks, Xi arranged a giant reception rite for Dissanayake in the wonderful other people’s other people.