President Anura Kumara concludes state visit to China

President Anura Kumara Disanayaka concluded the four day State Visit to the People’s Republic today.

The President’s Media Division said the visit marked a significant milestone in the long-standing traditional friendship between the two countries and further strengthening bilateral cooperation and partnership.

President Disanayaka undertook the State Visit at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

President Disanayaka was received by President Xi on 15 January 2025 at the Great Hall of the People where he was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour.

The two Presidents engaged in discussions on a wide range of areas including economic and trade enhancement, investment, tourism, digital transformation and cooperation in multilateral fora. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further consolidate bilateral ties based on sovereign equality and peaceful co-existence.

Following the discussions, President Xi hosted a State Banquet in honour of President Disanayaka. President Disanayaka extended an invitation to President Xi to undertake a State Visit to Sri Lanka.

The Chinese Premier, Li Qiang welcomed the Sri Lankan President and discussed matters of mutual interest including development cooperation, trade, investment, and economic cooperation. President Disanayaka also met with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Zhao Leji and discussed areas of further cooperation.

During the State Visit, 15 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were exchanged by the two sides.

These memoranda include a grant of RMB 500 million from the Chinese Government on economic and technical cooperation, establishment of an Investment and Economic Cooperation Working Group, market access for agricultural products to China, collaboration on media and tourism promotion. 

 A Joint Statement with the Sinopec Group was also signed towards the establishment of an export oriented petroleum refinery in Hambantota, valued at USD 3.7 billion.

President Disanayaka also addressed the “Invest in Sri Lanka” Roundtable attended by high-level representatives of Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) and Companies. Addressing the Investment Forum, President Disanayaka highlighted the broader vision guiding Sri Lanka’s economic policies and shared key areas of potential interest to the business community to invest in Sri Lanka. Leading Chinese SOEs present at the Forum expressed their interest in bringing new investments and expanding the existing investment projects in Sri Lanka. 

President Disanayaka also paid tribute at the Monument of the People’s Heroes, which was followed by a visit to the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong.

In Chengdu, the largest metropolis of Southwest China, President Disanayaka visited Zhan Qi, a model village focused on poverty alleviation, to exchange views on best practices. The President also visited the Chengdu National Agricultural and Science Center and met with the Sichuan Province Party Secretary Wang Xiaohui.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation Bimal Rathnayake, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the People’s Republic of China Majintha Jayesinghe, Director General of the East Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ruwanthi Delpitiya and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing were associated with President Disanayaka in his official engagements in China.