15 January 2020 06:14 am
Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi yesterday assured China won’t allow any outside influences to interfere with matters that are essentially internal concerns of Sri Lanka.
Minister Wang also said China would continue to standby Sri Lanka’s interests as a strategic partner and that China stands for Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
In a statement, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said the Chinese Foreign Minister expressed these views when he called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat last morning. Referring to President Rajapaksa’s commitment to make Sri Lanka economically independent, the Foreign Minister has said that, during the President’s scheduled visit next month, all arrangements would be made to meet with necessary parties that can help Sri Lanka in the areas of technology, tourism, infrastructure and other related fields.
“The visit will be the most productive. Sri Lanka may have less landmass, but will soon be strong economically. China will be with Sri Lanka in its striving to reach this goal,” Minister Yi assured.
The Chinese Foreign Minister conveyed the warmest greetings from the President of China Xi Jingping.
He congratulated “China’s old friend” President Rajapaksa for getting elected to office. Minister Yi said that after the in-depth discussion he had with President Rajapaksa he was confident that already existing strong bilateral relations could be further strengthened.
President Rajapaksa warmly reciprocated the visiting Minister’s goodwill and warm wishes. The President revealed that he was an admirer of President Xi Jingping. He also stated that some of President’s Xi’s policies especially on poverty alleviation were incorporated into his own mandate. He also thanked Minister Yi for the invitation to visit China.
Recalling his many visits to China, President Rajapaksa said “China is not a stranger to me”.
Meanwhile, President Rajapaksa has told the visiting minister that Sri Lanka has to face many political challenges due to its geographically strategic location. “The only way to overcome them is to be economically strong. The economic independence will ensure political independence,” he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla)