ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka signed 15 agreements with China after the bilateral talks between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said.
President Disanayake is in China for a four-day official visit on an invitation by President Jinping.
Both presidents held bilateral talks before signing the memorandum of understanding (MOUs).
“During the talks, discussions were held on important topics over the economical, cultural, and political ties between the two countries,” Minister Herath said in a recorded video.
“After the bilateral talks, 15 memorandums of understanding were signed between the two countries. All these 15 MOUs are important to our economy, education, media, and culture. Through these, Sri Lanka can get a lot of benefits in the future.”
“The Chinese President affirmed the continuous support of the Chinese government to us.”
President Disanayake’s visit comes one month after he made his first official foreign visit to India, where he mostly discussed some key projects that have been initiated with the Delhi government under the previous governments.
China has pledged support for President Disanayake’s new government, which is grappling with practical difficulties in fulfilling its election promises and the reality amid recovering from an unprecedented economic crisis.
Since the end of a 26-year war in 2009, China has become a strong ally of successive Sri Lanka administrations. The move, however, has angered India, analysts say, amid Delhi’s increasing concerns over Indian Ocean’s regional security. (Colombo/January 15/2025)
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