On April 8, 2016, President Xi Jinping met at the Great Hall of the People with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of Sri Lanka.
Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Sri Lanka have maintained long-term friendship, rendered mutual support on issues related to each other’s core interests and major concerns, and carried out cooperation based on mutual benefits and reciprocity. China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to consolidate the traditional friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and constantly push forward the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincere mutual help and long-lasting friendship to new heights.
Xi Jinping stressed that China and Sri Lanka should dock development strategies of both sides in a closer manner and continuously elevate bilateral relations during their development. Both sides should maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, strengthen strategic communication, handle bilateral relations from a long-term and strategic perspective, and map out top-level designs for bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields. As important cooperation partners in the construction of the “Belt and Road”, both sides should take the initiative as an opportunity to enhance overall planning, deepen bilateral practical cooperation in terms of trade, infrastructure, industrial parks, processing and manufacturing, production capacity, science and technology, and ocean. China will actively explore assisting Sri Lanka in building projects covering health care and other sectors, and agrees to intensify bilateral cooperation in areas such as tourism, education and culture, so as to push the China-Sri Lanka friendship bring benefits to more people and cement the social foundation of bilateral friendship. China is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Sri Lanka under the frameworks including the UN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum and the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Ranil Wickremesinghe noted that Sri Lanka and China enjoy time-honored connections in politics, economy and culture, and the strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincere mutual support and long-lasting friendship is in the fundamental interests of both Sri Lanka and China. It is also a consensus of all political parties in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka appreciates China’s positive role in promoting global economic stability and growth, and is grateful to China for its long-term assistance and support to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka will actively participate in the Belt and Road initiative proposed by China, further strengthen cooperation with China in port, airport and other infrastructure construction, trade, investment, transportation and technology, and increase cultural communication and personnel exchanges, so as to benefit the two peoples. Sri Lanka is willing to strengthen cooperation with China within the SAARC and other frameworks.
State Councilor Yang Jiechi and others were present at the meeting.