Sri Lanka is seeking further investment from China and has taken substantial actions to protect investor’s rights, said Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, the country’s Speaker of Parliament.

The top official, who just attended the eighth China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, highlighted that the expo brings together enterprises from China and South Asia for trade opportunities while speaking in an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network.

“Last time we had only 80-odd participants. This time we had 126, or something like that, so the number of participants has increased considerably. The number one is gem and jewelry. Gem and jewelry is very popular and successful business in our country. Now they want to capture the Chinese market. The Chinese market is very attractive. The other thing was the garment industry. The garment industry is also is one of the lucrative businesses in the country. With this exhibition, I invite Chinese investors to come and invest in Sri Lanka in these fields, especially the tea, gem and jewelry, and garments,” he said.

Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena shared that the two countries will further cooperate under the Belt and Road Initiative, especially to advance flagship projects including the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port.

“Belt and Road Initiative is not a new thing for Sri Lanka. Thousands of years ago, there had been Chinese businessmen who did a lot of business in my country. Now, with this new approach, with the Belt and Road [Initiative], there is an ample opportunity, and it can expand unprecedentedly in our country. The port city is totally a Chinese investment, and Sri Lanka has recognized it. And in parliament, we have passed the legislation to give security for the investors. It’s a special law that is investor beneficial, investor friendly, and their investments are untouched,” he said.

The official also highly praised the medical aid offered by China for local cataract patients and expressed expectations that there will more exchanges in tourism.

“Those cataract operations were very successful and there was a big demand. And more than that, now China has given us a friendship hospital in Polonnaruwa. It’s for kidney patients. It’s an amazing investment, amazing donation to our country and which we appreciate very much. Tourism is also another industry that we develop in our country. There are very attractive sceneries, very attractive tourist offerings. If you can get 10 percent of your tourist influx to the country, that is more than enough for us to survive our industry. Chinese tourists are very well recognized and accepted by the Sri Lankan government and by the Sri Lankan people,” he said.

(CCTV +)

In December 2012, Xi Jinping, then newly elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chose Guangdong, a frontier of China’s reform and opening up, as the destination of his first inspection tour.

During this trip, he issued a mobilization order to the whole Party and country.

“The decision to launch reform and opening up was right. We must keep to this correct path, ” he said. “We must stay unwavering on the road to the prosperity of the nation and the people.”

For over a decade, Xi has continuously planned the overall direction of reforms and promoted implementation.

2024 marks another significant year for deepening reform in the new era. Xi will lead the 1.4 billion Chinese people in jointly writing a new chapter of reform in the new era.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs – Tharaka Balasuriya says that the post of Sri Lankan ambassador in China, which had remained vacant for several months, will be filled soon.

Speaking exclusively to ”Sri Lanka Mirror’, he said, “We will certainly be sending an ambassador to China and we have already picked a very experienced officer from the Foreign Service.”

Emphasizing that “China no doubt is a very important country for Sri Lanka,” the State Minister added, “thus we have looked into one of the best officers that is available” to be sent in order “to further strengthen our relationship with China.”

The ambassador position at the Sri Lankan Diplomatic Mission in Beijing has remained vacant for nearly 07 months, ever since the previous ambassador – Dr. Palitha Kohona returned to Sri Lanka last August.

The President’s tour in 2023 October as well as the Prime Minister’s tour last month had taken place in the absence of an ambassador.

Speaking on the delay to appoint a new ambassador, the State Minister said that a time lapse between the exit of one ambassador and the appointment of another usually does take place. There are procedural delays and formalities which take place, he pointed out.

In addition to China, 07 more officers from the Foreign Service are to be appointed as new Heads of Mission in several other countries, Mr. Balasuriya added.

In a recent X message following an orientation programme for the newly appointed Heads of Mission for the year 2024, the State Minister had congratulated the newly appointed delegates.‍

According to reports, former ambassador to Austria – Majintha Jayesinghe is to be appointed as the new ambassador to China.

Ambassador Jayesinghe had joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 1998 and was Ambassador in the United Arab Emirates, prior to the appointment in Austria. The diplomatic career entailed serving as Consul General in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China and Deputy High Commissioner in Malaysia.

The full interview of State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya with Sri Lanka Mirror Editor – Kelum Shivantha, is as follows :