ECONOMYNEXT – China is ready to support Sri Lanka’s development, the Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao, who led a trade delegation to Sri Lanka, told a forum that looked at investments in the automotive value chain, tea plantation and enterprise development among other things.
“Minister Wentao emphasized that China stands ready to support Sri Lanka’s development journey, recommending that the two countries expand trade and economic cooperation to boost development, and explore more opportunities for multilateral trading systems in order to ensure resilience and sustainability,” the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, which organized the forum, said in a statement.
The Sri Lanka-China Trade and Investment Forum 2025, held in Colombo, brought together over 115 senior representatives from 77 leading Chinese enterprises and key members of Sri Lanka’s public and private sectors.
The event was co-hosted by the Department of Commerce of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka–China Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber, and the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME).
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong was also present.
“We are creating a conducive environment for doing business, underpinned by transparency, predictability, and sustainability,” Vice Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber Krishan Balendra said.
The Chinese delegation, representing trade chambers – CCCME, China Chamber of Commerce of Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-products, China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Textiles, and the China International Chamber of Commerce for the Private Sector – ‘expressed strong interest in forming partnerships across a wide array of sectors’.
The forum facilitated B2B meetings and discussions on investments in the automotive value chain, tea plantation and enterprise development, and partnerships in renewable energy, clean technology, engineering, construction, and water treatment. (Colombo/May30/2025)
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