ECONOMYNEXT – President Anura Kumara Dissanayake departed the country late on Monday (3) for a four-day state visit to the People’s Republic of China, his office said.
The visit was undertaken by President Dissnayake on an invitation by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He will be on an official visit from January 14-17.
“During this visit, President Disanayake is scheduled to engage in high-level discussions with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and other senior Chinese officials, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations and explore avenues for enhanced cooperation between the two nations,” the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
The President is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, the Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation, Bimal Rathnayake and the Director General of Government Information, H.S.K.J. Bandara.
The President’s visit comes one month after he made his first official foreign visit to India, though he mostly discussed some key projects that have been initiated with the Delhi government under the previous governments.
China has pledged support for President Dissanayake’s new government, which is grappling with practical difficulties in fulfilling its election promises and the reality.
Since the end of a 26-year war in 2009, China has become a strong ally of the Beijing administration. The move, however, has angered India, analysts say, amid Delhi’s increasing concerns over Indian Ocean’s regional security. (Colombo/January 14/2025)
