Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony for visiting Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing today (Jan. 15).
At the welcome ceremony, the military band played the national anthems of Sri Lanka and China, and a 21-gun salute was fired.
Dissanayake, accompanied by Xi, reviewed the Guard of Honor of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and watched a march-past of the Guard of Honor.
Also attending the welcome ceremony were Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and also director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, and other senior Chinese officials.
Following the initial cordial discussions between the two leaders, bilateral talks commenced.
SL, committed to jointly building the Belt and Road – AKD
Noting that China has always been a reliable friend and partner to Sri Lanka, Dissanayake said that Sri Lanka attaches great importance to its relationship with China and firmly adheres to the one-China principle.
He expressed gratitude for China’s valuable support in safeguarding Sri Lanka’s independence, sovereignty, and legitimate rights.
Sri Lanka is committed to jointly building the Belt and Road and enhancing regional connectivity, said the Sri Lankan president. He said Sri Lanka welcomes more Chinese companies to invest in the country, and expressed the willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as infrastructure, energy, agriculture, finance, poverty reduction, digital transformation, tourism, marine affairs, and personnel training.
China is an important leader among Global South countries and plays a constructive role in international affairs. Sri Lanka is willing to continue strengthening coordination and mutual support with China in multilateral forums to safeguard their common interests, said Dissanayake.
New opportunities for Sri Lanka’s development – Xi
Meanwhile, the Chinese president said that China-Sri Lanka relations now face a historic opportunity to carry forward the past and open up new prospects. Both sides should strategically grasp and advance their relationship, jointly building a China-Sri Lanka community of a shared future, he said.
Xi emphasized that China has always regarded Sri Lanka as an important partner in its neighborhood diplomacy and will continue to support Sri Lanka in maintaining its national independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. China also supports Sri Lanka in independently exploring a development path that suits its own national conditions.
China is willing to deepen political mutual trust with Sri Lanka, exchange governance and statecraft experiences, and enhance dialogue and communication between the two countries’ respective departments, Xi said.
As China further deepens reform and advances Chinese modernization, new opportunities for Sri Lanka’s development will emerge. China will actively support Sri Lanka in focusing on economic construction and advancing high-quality cooperation in the building of the Belt and Road, as well as high-quality cooperation in areas such as modern agriculture, the digital economy, and the marine economy, creating new prospects of cooperation, according to Xi.
Both sides should strengthen cultural exchanges between their peoples, Xi said. China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to enhance coordination and cooperation in multilateral institutions like the United Nations, jointly addressing major issues affecting human development, such as climate change. China is committed to fostering unity and self-strengthening among Global South countries and contributing to regional peace, stability and prosperity, he added.
After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents, including the plan for cooperation in joint construction of the Belt and Road, as well as agreements on Sri Lanka’s export of agricultural products to China, social welfare, and media and broadcasting.
Showers will occur at times in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in the Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (June 18), the Department of Meteorology said.
Several spells of showers will occur in the North-western province.
Showers or thundershowers can be expected at a few places in the Uva province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.
Fairly strong winds of about 30-40kmph can be expected at times over the Western slopes of the central hills and in the Northern, North-central, Southern and North-western provinces and in the Trincomalee district.
The general public has been requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Tehran, Iran has been relocated amid the prevailing situation, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the Parliament today (June 17).
Embassy officials have also been moved due to the situation. In addition to embassy staff, eight Sri Lankan students who had been at the Embassy in Tehran have also been relocated to the northern part of Iran due to security concerns.
However, all contact numbers remain operational, the minister added.
Herath said that approximately 35 Sri Lankans remain in Iran, with those residing in Tehran currently facing heightened risks. He also pointed out that nearly 20,000 Sri Lankans are presently in Israel.
Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has assured that there is no risk of an impending fuel shortage in the country due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.
Speaking during the Cabinet briefing earlier today (June 17), he assured that Sri Lanka currently has adequate fuel reserves to meet national demand for at least two and a half months and and that necessary arrangements have been made to procure upcoming fuel shipments without any issues.
He urged the public not to be misled by such claims on social media.
