Sri Lankan Prime Minister Gunawardena made an official visit to China from 25 to 30 March. During his visit to China he gave an exclusive interview to China Media Group. He has visited China many times to promote the development of relations between the two countries. In the exclusive interview, he spoke about his views on the current relations between China and Sri Lanka, described what lessons he believes developing countries can learn from China in terms of development and modernization, and also recalled his special bond with China.
Dinesh Gunawardena said that the visit was very positive and successful for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka and China have maintained diplomatic relations for over 60 years and are close partners in all aspects. China has always helped Sri Lanka face its challenges and meeting President Xi Jinping gives us confidence that the friendship and cooperation between the two countries will continue to develop.
Speaking about the relationship between China and Sri Lanka, Dinesh Gunawardena said that Sri Lanka and China have a long standing relationship with each other. The leaders of the two countries maintain friendly exchanges. Sri Lanka understands China's development path and has overcome many obstacles to sign the "Rubber and Rice Pact" with China. This pact is not only an agreement but also symbolizes the opening of a new chapter of economic development between Sri Lanka and China. Today, China has become an important and powerful country in the world and has achieved comprehensive development in various regions and areas.
President Xi Jinping visited Sri Lanka in 2014 to attend the laying of the foundation stone of the Colombo Port Development Project - the most ambitious project ever undertaken in the country. This project has become the flagship project of Sino-Sri Lankan cooperation under the "Belt and Road Initiative." During the meeting, President Xi Jinping particularly highlighted the quality of the joint construction of the Belt and Road between the two countries.
On how the two countries should continue to pursue high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, Dinesh Gunawardena said the Port of Colombo connects Singapore and the Gulf region and is one of the most competitive ports in South Asia. Sri Lanka faced developmental difficulties after the covid-19 pandemic and the global economy went into a downward spiral, but China quickly recovered from the predicament. The strong development of the Chinese economy will affect the whole of Asia. Asian economies agree that with the help of China and its investment, they now have better opportunities and markets and businesses can move forward. China was the first to reach out to us and provide strong support, along with other friendly countries and organisations. Since then, Sri Lanka's economy has come out of negative growth and has just achieved positive growth, which gives us stronger confidence.
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