Countries along China's Belt and Road will have a special interest in this year's Two Sessions, watching closely to see how Beijing is planning for the future. CGTN's Li Jiejun visited Sri Lanka to see how the South Asian island nation was benefitting from Chinese investment.

Chandana Thilakarathna is the CEO of Sri Lanka's Independent Television Network. He once worked as consultant for China Radio International in Beijing, and has covered China's previous Two Sessions. He said the annual event has drawn worldwide attention, with various countries watching China's actions and future plans. He believes China's development could set an example to other developing countries.

CHANDANA THILAKARATHNA CEO, INDEPENDENT TELEVISION NETWORK "We can see China is doing a lot of changes year by year in the political system, and every system in China. I can remember when President Xi Jinping came to power, he said he would protect Chinese economy from the corrupted people. You have taken a lot of steps to fight corruption and bribery. It's a very good example for developing countries."

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up. Sri Lanka also started opening up its economy in 1978, but it was suspended during three decades of civil war. People here are hungry for change.

Professor Lakshman Dissanayake, vice chancellor of the University of Colombo, has been to China several times and was deeply impressed by its fast development.

He said China's Belt & Road Initiative has created great opportunities for Sri Lanka and other partner countries.

PROF. LAKSHMAN DISSANAYAKE VICE CHANCELLOR, UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBO "Sri Lanka and China have been friends for so many years. We have this maritime silk road. With the BRI concept, we became now closer and closer. Not just Sri Lanka and China, but also those countries along that belt will be connected into a group. We will be able to share our practices, good experience. So we can learn from each other."

With bilateral relations getting closer, the Chinese government has assisted Sri Lanka through several infrastructure projects, such as the Port City and the Southern Expressway. China is now Sri Lanka's second largest tourism market, with more than 260,000 Chinese visitors last year. Many banks here have also started to use China's UnionPay system.

LI JIEJUN COLOMBO "Analysts say Sri Lanka's strategic position in the middle of the maritime Silk Road offers the country an opportunity to become a trading hub in the Indian Ocean. Going forward, Sri Lanka believes it will benefit greatly in the years to come, if China continues to produce concrete outcomes from the Belt & Road initiative. LJJ, CGTN, Colombo."