Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Sri Lankan PM in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya on Tuesday, during her visit to Beijing for the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women.

Noting that China and Sri Lanka share a long-standing traditional friendship, Xi stated that the two countries have always built their bilateral relations on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, setting an example of friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between nations.

He noted that China and Sri Lanka are partners in development and revitalization, as well as cooperative allies for mutual success.

China has always prioritized Sri Lanka in its neighborhood diplomacy and is prepared to work with Sri Lanka to strengthen their longstanding friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future to better benefit the two peoples, Xi said.

Xi reaffirmed China's support for Sri Lanka in protecting its national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as pursuing a development path aligned with its own conditions, emphasizing economic growth and national prosperity.

Xi stated that China is willing to collaborate with Sri Lanka to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and to expand partnerships in port economy, modern agriculture, digital economy, green economy, and tourism.

The Chinese president also called for strengthened law enforcement and security cooperation to resolutely combat cross-border gambling and fraud.

Xi added that the two sides should strengthen coordination and cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, promote a multipolar world that is equal and orderly, and advance inclusive and beneficial economic globalization, while firmly protecting the common interests of the Global South.

Amarasuriya conveyed Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's sincere greetings to President Xi, emphasizing that Xi's speech at the Global Leaders' Meeting on Women was highly significant. It highlighted China's crucial leadership role in promoting the global advancement of women.

She said Sri Lanka attaches great importance to its relations with China, firmly upholds the one-China principle, and actively supports and participates in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

The prime minister expressed gratitude for China's valuable support for Sri Lanka's economic and social development and expressed hope of learning from China's modernization experience to strengthen cooperation and achieve new progress in Sri Lanka's development.

Amarasuriya added that President Xi's four major global initiatives are highly significant amid today's turbulent international situation.

Sri Lanka is ready to work with China to jointly implement these initiatives and protect the shared interests of the Global South.