Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who arrived here on Tuesday on a four-day visit, will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Wednesday after which the two sides are expected to sign agreements, officials said.
Upon his arrival, the president was accorded a ceremonial welcome by the Chinese military, and he was formally received by China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong, according to a press release issued by Dissanayake’s office in Colombo.
This is Mr. Dissanayake’s second overseas visit — the first being to India — since assuming office in September last year.
Sri Lankan officials said Mr. Dissanayake will meet Xi on Wednesday to discuss bilateral ties after which the two sides are expected to sign agreements to deepen the relations.
He is also due to meet Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China Zhao Leji.
During the state visit, Mr. Dissanayake is scheduled to participate in several key engagements and undertake field visits focused on technological and agricultural development, as well as initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation.
The visit also includes high-level business meetings and discussions, the President’s Office in Colombo said.
“The visit to the People’s Republic of China will further strengthen the longstanding ties between the two countries,” the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said earlier.
A host of issues, including permitting Chinese research vessels, regarded as spy ships by India; Sri Lanka’s debt commitments to China, stated to be Colombo’s largest creditor, and expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) investments are expected to figure in Dissanayake’s talks with Xi.
Sri Lanka expects the visit to result in the digitisation of Sri Lanka’s two state TV channels — Rupavahini and ITN.
Sri Lanka would also seek Chinese assistance to complete the central expressway, which has been stalled for over a decade, the media division of the Sri Lanka President’s Office here said in a press release earlier.
The talks would also cover the Chinese industrial zone around the southern port of Hambantota.
Qin Boyong, a top Chinese official who visited Dissanayake immediately upon his return from Delhi in December, said the Chinese companies were eagerly waiting to set themselves up for business at Hambantota.
Mr. Dissanayake, once a bitter critic of India, chose Delhi for his first visit abroad.
During his visit to India in December, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dissanayake assured New Delhi that Colombo would not permit its territory to be used in a manner that is detrimental to the interest of India, in an apparent reference to China.
China expanded its strategic ties with Sri Lanka during the rule of pro-Beijing leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickramasinghe with the acquisition of Hambantota port for 99 years’ lease as a debt swap followed by the development of Colombo Port City project.
Mr.Dissanayake is a new generation leader representing new realities of his island nation.
A high-level delegation, including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath and Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake, has accompanied him to China.
Published – January 15, 2025 03:35 am IST
