The Sri Lankan prime minister visited China in 2003. In return, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid an official visit to Sri Lanka in 2005. In the same year the Sri Lankan President C.B.Kumaratunga paid a state visit to China. Both sides exchanged in-depth views on the bilateral relations and international issues of mutual interests and reached broad consensus.

During President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to China, he will hold discussions with top Chinese leadership on a wide range of issues of mutual concern, and visit Shanghai and Guangzhou, addressing seminars and introducing the investment climate in Sri Lanka to potential Chinese investors. Several agreements or MOUs are to be signed which will undoubtedly boost the economic development of both countries. This landmark visit will be a successful, constructive and fruitful one.

Another important aspect is people-to-people contacts between the two countries. Nowadays more and more Chinese tourists are coming to Sri Lanka than ever before and the commencement of direct flights between Beijing and Colombo has also been a blessing. In November 2002 Sri Lanka and China signed an agreement on Accredited Destination Status which is focused on various avenues to increase the inflow of tourists from China. In 2006 more than 16,000 Chinese tourists visited Sri Lanka. Both the Chinese and Sri Lankan Governments will continue to encourage the bilateral tourist traffic in the years ahead.

A helping hand

China has not forgotten her obligations to the developing world. It maintains a healthy level of Official Development Assistance in different forms of grants or loans. In particular, China has continuously provided development assistance to Sri Lanka over a long period of time.

Up to now, China has implemented more than 20 complete plant projects in Sri Lanka through various forms of assistance. Sri Lankan people have been impressed by many projects such as BMICH, the Supreme Court Complex, the Nilabe Hydro Power Station, and Lady Rigeway Children's Hospital, just to name some of them.

The tsunami at the end of 2004 caused huge casualties and property losses in Sri Lanka. China has shown deep sympathy for the people of Sri Lanka affected by the tsunami and provided assistance in post-disaster relief and rehabilitation projects, such as restoration of several fishery harbors devastated by the tsunami and construction of four China-Sri Lanka Friendship Villages. Help will be offered to Sri Lanka for the training of personnel in natural disaster prediction and mitigation.

This year will witness a number of projects mutually agreed upon by the two governments to be started in Sri Lanka. In addition to upgrading facilities at BMICH, projects such as the construction of a flyover at Nugegoda Junction, the construction of the National Performing Arts Theater and Puttalam Coal Power Plant are all due to start within the year.

Though China is a developing country and its aid is limited, the Chinese people are sincere and the Chinese Government has all along honored its commitments. We are always ready and willing to offer assistance for the economic and social development of the developing countries to the best of our abilities and with no pre-conditions attached.

In the new world situation, China will continue its unremitting efforts with Sri Lanka in the following aspects to upgrade all-round cooperation.

First, to carry forward the tradition of exchanging high-level visits between both sides, to extensively conduct exchanges between the two governments, parliaments, political parties, young people and organizations, and to consolidate the political foundation of our bilateral relations.