China pledges to help Sri Lanka overcome debt challenges
Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, (and Foreign Minister) said, on Wednesday, that China would help Sri Lanka effectively address the challenges of financial debt.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said so during a meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on the sidelines of the seventh China-South Asian Expo in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province.
China was always Sri Lanka’s reliable strategic partner and appreciated that Sri Lanka had always been friendly to China and had stood by China on issues related to its core interests, Yi said.
China also firmly supported Sri Lanka in safeguarding its sovereign independence and national dignity, and was willing to strengthen exchanges of experience in governance as well as cooperation in various fields with Sri Lanka, he said.
Wang said China would help Sri Lanka improve its capacity for independent development, get rid of the “poverty trap” and the “trap of non-development,” accelerate its industrialisation process and agricultural modernization.
Wang said China was confident that Sri Lanka would overcome its temporary difficulties, find a development path in line with its national conditions, and realise revitalisation and prosperity.
Noting that Sri Lanka was an important participant and beneficiary of the China-South Asia Expo, he requested Sri Lanka to continue to make good use of this important platform to further explore the Chinese market.
PM Gunawardena thanked China for its firm support for Sri Lanka in safeguarding its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and for its timely and effective assistance to Sri Lanka in times of difficulty.
The forward-looking flagship cooperation projects between the two sides such as the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port would bring benefits to the Sri Lankan people and play a key role in regional connectivity and sustainable development, he said.
Sri Lanka would work with China to expand cooperation in economy, trade and investment, agriculture, tourism, energy and innovation to help Sri Lanka achieve food self-sufficiency and accelerate the development of key industries, the PM added.
