China ready to carry forward traditional friendship with Sri Lanka: spokesman
China stands ready to carry forward the traditional friendship with Sri Lanka through the upcoming visit of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday (Jan. 10).
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Dissanayake will pay a state visit to China from Jan 14 to 17, the foreign ministry announced earlier on Friday.
“This will be President Dissanayake’s first visit to China since he took office. It’s of great significance to the development of China-Sri Lanka relations. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will hold talks with President Dissanayake, and Premier Li Qiang and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji will meet with him respectively. China and Sri Lanka are traditional friendly neighbors. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka in 1957, our relations have stood the test of the changing international landscape and maintained sound and steady development, setting a fine example of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation for countries of different sizes,” Guo said.
“Taking President Dissanayake’s visit to China as an opportunity, we stand ready to work with the Sri Lankan side to carry forward traditional friendship, deepen political mutual trust, expand high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and practical cooperation in various fields, seek new progress in our strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincerity, mutual support and ever-lasting friendship, deliver more benefits to the people of the two countries,” Guo said.
