Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who arrived in Sri Lanka on a two-day visit, is scheduled to meet the country’s top leadership for bilateral talks today, while also marking the 65th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Wang, who arrived in Colombo from the Maldives on Saturday, will meet President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister G L Peiris during the visit.
His visit marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations and the 70th anniversary of the Lanka-China Rubber Rice Pact.
Signed in 1952, the Rubber-Rice Pact was a trade agreement between Sri Lanka and China under which Colombo supplied rubber to Beijing in exchange for rice, leading to the establishment of diplomatic relations and expansion of trade between the two nations.
The events marking the occasions will be held at the Chinese-built port city in central Colombo, one of the many mega infrastructure development projects supported by China since 2010.
Officials said new Chinese investment opportunities might be sealed by Sri Lanka during the foreign minister’s visit. --Agencies
