On the afternoon of September 24, Ren Hongbin, Vice Minister of Commerce and Ms. J.M.B. Jayawardana, Secretary of the Ministry of Trade of Sri Lanka co-chaired the 7th Meeting of China-Sri Lanka Joint Committee for Trade and Economic Cooperation via video. The two sides exchanged ideas and reached broad consensus on issues such as the strategic alignment of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Sri Lanka’s Vistas for Prosperity and Splendour, anti-epidemic cooperation, bilateral trade expansion and China’s investment in Sri Lanka.

Ren Hongbin stressed that under the joint leadership and promotion of President Xi Jinping and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, China-Sri Lanka economic and trade relations achieved remarkable progress. The joint building of BRI also reaped fruitful results. Since the last joint committee, China has become the largest trading partner of Sri Lanka. Its investment in Sri Lanka nearly doubled, key projects such as the Hambantota Port operate well, demonstrating the potential for China-Sri Lanka trade and economic cooperation. China is now speeding up to build the new development paradigm and promote opening-up at a higher level, bring new opportunities to bilateral trade and economic cooperation. China is willing to work closely with Sri Lanka to implement consensus reached by the two presidents in the field of economic and trade by cooperatively promoting the high-quality development of Belt and Road, supporting Sri Lanka to export advantageous products to China, encouraging Chinese enterprises to expand investment in Sri Lanka and further enhancing cooperation for development so that China-Sri Lanka economic and trade relations could scale new heights.

Jayawardhana stated that Sri Lanka highly values BRI and actively engages in its building. Chinese products play an important role in Sri Lanka’s Covid-19 response. Sri Lanka is deeply grateful to China and hopes to continue to enhance cooperation with China. In recent years, China-Sri Lanka trade and economic cooperation has continued to scale new heights. Sri Lanka values the Chinese market, hopes to expand the export of advantageous agricultural and aquatic products to China and will offer convenience for Chinese enterprises to invest in the special zone for textile manufacturing. She hopes through the mechanism of the joint committee for trade and economic cooperation, the bilateral trade and economic cooperation could achieve more practical outcomes that benefit the two peoples

Attending this meeting also include Qi Zhenhong, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Palitha Kohona, Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs and relevant business associations and relevant Sri Lankan governmental representatives.

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)