BEIJING: Chinese chief Xi Jinping mentioned China-Sri Lanka relations face a “historic alternative” to spice up ties, in talks with the island nation’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Wednesday (Jan 15) .
“China-Sri Lanka relations face a historic alternative to construct on the previous and transfer ahead,” Xi instructed Dissanayake throughout the bilateral assembly in Beijing, in keeping with state broadcaster CCTV.
The two sides ought to view ties from “a strategic perspective and construct a China-Sri Lanka neighborhood with a shared future.”
Leftist Dissanayake’s go to to China comes after President Narendra Modi welcomed him on the purple carpet to India throughout his first overseas journey as prime minister in December.
Dissanayake got here to energy in September and consolidated his energy after his occasion gained a landslide in November’s parliamentary elections.
Meanwhile, China and India compete for affect within the Indian Ocean area.
Sri Lanka is situated on the world’s busiest transport route, connecting the Middle East and East Asia, giving its maritime property strategic significance.
But Sri Lanka defaulted on its overseas loans in 2022 throughout a disaster that triggered months of shortages of meals, gas and medicines.
China accounted for greater than half of Sri Lanka’s bilateral debt on the time of the financial collapse.
