China reiterates continued support to Sri Lanka

The Special Envoy of the Government of China Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Liu Jianchao called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera yesterday at the Foreign Ministry in Colombo, a statement from the ministry said. During the meeting, the Special Envoy conveyed warm greetings of the Government of China to the new Government and emphasized continuity of the close friendship and engagement with Sri Lanka reinforced by the exchange of high-level visits. Minister Samaraweera warmly welcomed Special Envoy Liu Jianchao to Sri Lanka, and reiterated Sri Lanka’s time-tested bonds of friendship and cooperation with China nurtured over the years. Referring to the Sri Lanka - China relationship as an ‘all-weather friendship’, Foreign Minister Samaraweera pledged Sri Lanka’s support for the further consolidation of friendly relations between the two countries. The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest ranging from bilateral political, economic, cultural cooperation to people-to-people contacts. Special Envoy Liu Jianchao, who is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka, is also scheduled to call on President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. Foreign Minister Samaraweera is scheduled to undertake a bilateral visit to China in the latter part of February 2015 on the invitation of the Chinese Government. The Chinese Government has also extended an invitation to President Sirisena to undertake a State Visit to China in March this year. The Special Envoy was accompanied by a 10-member delegation including senior officials of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.