Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Ali Sabry has met with the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing on Sunday.
“He emphasised that China and Sri Lanka have always respected and supported each other, setting a good example of coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation, and that China is ready to consolidate and expand its partnership with Sri Lanka.”
“I reaffirmed China is a great friend, important development partner, and Sri Lanka cherishes the selfless assistance from the government of China. We firmly support the one-China policy,” Sabry said in a tweet.
The foreign minister further said he invited further investment from Chinese enterprises in Sri Lanka.
Qin said China and Sri Lanka have respected and supported each other since establishing diplomatic ties, setting a good example of friendly exchanges and win-win cooperation between countries of different sizes, Xihua reported.
He called on the two sides to fully implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, enhance high-level and people-to-people exchanges, and promote the joint construction of a high-quality Belt and Road.
Qin added that China will continue to provide assistance to Sri Lanka’s economic and social development and the improvement of people’s livelihood to the best of its capacity.
Hailing China as a great friend and important partner in development, Sabry said Sri Lanka treasures the selfless assistance provided by the Chinese government and people to its national independence and economic development, and thanks China for its valuable support for Sri Lanka in handling the debt issue and overcoming temporary difficulties.
Sri Lanka will continue to firmly uphold the one-China policy, ensure the construction of the Belt and Road, work in close coordination with China on multilateral occasions, and promote the further development of bilateral ties, Sabry added.
The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. Qin said in the face of complex and volatile circumstances, China will work with other countries to safeguard regional and world peace, stability and prosperity and build a community with a shared future for humanity, the Xinhua report said.
Foreign Minister Sabry is currently in China to participate in the World Economic Forum being held in Tianjin from 27 to 29 June 2023.
The Forum themed ‘Entrepreneurship: The Driving Force of the Global Economy’, will provide a platform for dialogue among political and business leaders from over 90 countries across the globe, which is expected to advance regional and global collaboration on economic challenges.
--With Inputs from Xinhua
