President Ranil Wickremesinghe returned to Sri Lanka on Friday night after a fruitful four-day official visit to China. The trip was marked by successful bilateral discussions with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping, and participation in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.
During his visit, President Wickremesinghe engaged with various Chinese dignitaries, including Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong, climate change experts, academics, economic experts, corporate leaders, and many other key figures. This visit, from October 16 to 20, further solidified the time-honored Sri Lanka-China bilateral relations.
Pledges of economic support
President Ranil Wickremesinghe with Chinese President Xi Jinping
The discussions between President Wickremesinghe and President Xi Jinping concluded with China reaffirming its commitment to assist Sri Lanka in achieving economic stability. China pledged to provide friendly, practical, and timely support for Sri Lanka’s debt optimization program. In turn, President Wickremesinghe expressed his willingness to work closely with China, emphasizing that China could be an essential partner in Sri Lanka’s modernization.
High-level meeting at the Great Hall of the People
On October 20, China’s President Xi Jinping met President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Great Hall of the People in Tian’anmen Square, the political hub of Beijing and home of the National People’s Congress. President Xi Jinping praised Sri Lanka as one of the first countries to embrace and join the Belt and Road Initiative. He underscored China’s commitment to strengthening its relations with Sri Lanka, consolidating mutual trust, advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and promoting a steady progress in the China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership.
Xi Jinping emphasized China’s unwavering support for Sri Lanka’s strategic autonomy, national sovereignty, independence, and dignity. China also expressed its intention to increase the import of key Sri Lankan products and encouraged Chinese enterprises to invest in Sri Lanka for economic transformation and sustainable development. They promised to provide non-political assistance to address social and livelihood challenges in Sri Lanka.
Support for Sri Lankan development projects
Bilateral discussions between President Wickremesinghe and Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang took place in Beijing on October 19. The Chinese Vice Premier reiterated China’s unwavering support for the development of the Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Sri Lanka in its ongoing economic recovery efforts.
Chinese Vice Prime Minister Ding Xuexiang
President Wickremesinghe addressed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Cooperation Summit on October 18. Notably, this summit featured several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the importance of the Belt and Road initiative for the future world’s development and its potential in addressing debt relief challenges faced by developing countries.
Several Chinese university institution heads and academics expressed their interest in extending academic and technical support to Sri Lanka in establishing an international university focused on Climate Change, aligning with a proposal by President Wickremesinghe to address impending climate change challenges.
Cultural exchange and project resumption
During the visit, President Wickremesinghe pledged to resume the construction of the Sri Lankan Temple Complex at China’s ‘White Horse’ Temple in Hainan Province. This project aims to incorporate traditional Sri Lankan architectural elements, and President Wickremesinghe announced this decision following a discussion with the head of the temple, His Holiness Yin Lee.
Accompanying Delegation
President Wickremesinghe was accompanied by a delegation that included Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, Presidential Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayaka, Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Presidential Advisor Saman Athavudahetti, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief Alliance Officer Senarath Dissanayake, Head of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beijing K.K. Yoganandan, Ministry of External Affairs East Asia Director General Pujitha Perera, Presidential Private Secretary Ms Sandra Perera, and Presidential Director of International Affairs Rishan de Silva.
The President with representatives of Chinese educational institutions
The President and Pakistan Prime Minister
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar
The President with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong
The President with His Holiness Yin Lee
