On February 6, 2016 local time, on his way home after concluding a visit to Africa, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stopped at Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, and met with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera of Sri Lanka at request .

Wang Yi said that the peoples of China and Sri Lanka have profound friendship, and China values this tradition. In this new year, both sides should work together to promote the bilateral relations to enter a new stage of stable and vigorous development, and help China-Sri Lanka cooperation achieve more visible and tangible accomplishments. Sri Lanka used to be a major country on the ancient Silk Road and China is willing to discuss the cooperation ways with Sri Lanka for the joint construction of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road so as to jointly revitalize this road of friendship and cooperation, which completely complies with the fundamental and long-term interests of the two countries and the two peoples.

Mangala Samaraweera said that Sri Lanka thanks China for its long-standing and great help. Sri Lanka is facing urgent development tasks and willing to constantly strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with China. Sri Lanka welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and develop in Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe of Sri Lanka also made a phone call to Foreign Minister Wang Yi to express his positive aspiration to strengthen the friendship between Sri Lanka and China.