13 October 2020 12:00 am
Following the agreements signed during the visit of the Chinese diplomatic delegation led by Mr.Yang Jiechi to Sri Lanka, the People’s Republic of China will award 600 million yuan (Rs.16.5 billion) to Sri Lanka, the Chinese Embassy said yesterday.
The President of the China International Development Cooperation Agency, Wan Xiaotao, and Secretary to the Treasury, S.R. Attygalle, signed the agreement in this regard on October 9.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa commended China for providing assistance at a critical juncture.
China and Sri Lanka agreed to use the aid money for basic needs such as providing medical facilities, education and water supply to rural areas during the COVID-19 crisis.
During the meeting between Yang Jiechi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, and Prime Minister Rajapaksa a number of other aid projects provided by China to Sri Lanka were discussed, This included the construction of the National Kidney Hospital in Polonnaruwa and the OPD at the Colombo National Hospital.
The progress of these projects, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, was commended by both parties.