On Sept 23rd, 2022, a Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Ali Sabry on the sidelines of the ongoing 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the United States. PHOTO XINHUA NEW YORK - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamed Ali Sabry on Friday in the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's ongoing 77th session.
Wang said that China and Sri Lanka, as strategic partners, have always shared weal and woe and sincerely helped each other.
This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Sri Lanka and the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Rubber-Rice Pact, which is an opportunity to build on their past achievements and take them forward, Wang said.
He said that China is ready to work with Sri Lanka to strengthen traditional friendship, consolidate strategic mutual trust, and deepen practical cooperation.
Wang congratulated Sri Lanka on its progress in stabilizing the situation and alleviating the difficulties in the country. He said that China has provided medicine, rice, fuel, and other emergency humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka and will continue to help the country overcome its temporary difficulties within its capacity.
Sabry highlighted the solid foundations of the friendship between Sri Lanka and China.
Sri Lanka will never forget China's strong support to its economic and social development over the years, especially when the South Asian country encountered difficulties, he noted.
He said that China is an important development partner in Sri Lanka and Chinese enterprises have made a significant contribution to Sri Lanka's growth and that the so-called Chinese debt trap is an utterly groundless rumor.
Sri Lanka welcomes investments from all countries, including China, and will ensure the security and reasonable returns of investments, according to Sabry. He thanked China for helping Sri Lankan students resume study in China.
The cooperation between China and Sri Lanka is South-South cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit, Wang said. He stated that the narrative of debt traps created and spread by certain countries is a trap of underdevelopment for developing countries.
China and Sri Lanka will stand together on issues of sovereignty, independence, and national dignity, and will continue to give mutual understanding and support, Wang said.
Both sides agreed to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to help boost Sri Lanka's economic recovery by leveraging the Hambantota Port, Colombo Port City and other flagship projects.
The two sides will speed up the negotiation process and strive for an early conclusion to a free trade agreement, thereby boosting the confidence in and stabilizing expectations for their economic and trade cooperation.