Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday voiced willingness to consolidate mutual political trust with Sri Lanka during his meeting with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Beijing.

Wickremesinghe is on a four-day visit to China, where he attended the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing this week.

Xi emphasized the importance of developing bilateral relations and expressed his readiness to work with the Sri Lankan president to strengthen political mutual trust and jointly advance the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality.

The Chinese president also conveyed his hope for further progress in the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership, aiming to bring greater benefits to their peoples.

Xi assured Sri Lanka of China's firm support in maintaining its strategic autonomy and safeguarding national sovereignty, independence, and dignity.

He expressed China's willingness to expand imports of Sri Lanka's advantageous specialty products, encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Sri Lanka, and assist the country in achieving economic transformation, upgrading, and sustainable development. Xi also encouraged Sri Lanka to provide an open and transparent business environment for Chinese enterprises.

Xi underlined China's commitment to providing assistance to Sri Lanka without political conditions, especially in addressing social and livelihood difficulties.

The president urged efforts to elevate the Colombo Port City project and Hambantota Port project as flagship projects of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). He expressed China's delight in seeing Sri Lanka evolve into the commercial center of the Indian Ocean.

Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in international and regional affairs, oppose the politicization of human rights issues and bloc confrontation, and safeguard the common interests of both countries and those of developing nations.

Wickremesinghe, for his part, pointed out that Sri Lanka has attached great importance to and actively participated in the construction of the Belt and Road from the very beginning.

He noted the country's optimism regarding the BRI's potential and prospects. The joint construction of the BRI, particularly the Maritime Silk Road, has greatly advanced Sri Lanka's economic and social development, enhancing its unique influence in the region.

Wickremesinghe expressed the hope for closer collaboration with China in the future to establish China as a crucial partner in Sri Lanka's modernization.

The Sri Lankan side firmly adheres to the one-China policy, the president stressed. He also voiced the Sri Lankan side's belief that the Indian Ocean should be open.

Sri Lanka is willing to strengthen communication with China in regional affairs and support solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, he told Xi.