[China and Sri Lanka]
In 2013, the People's Republic of China and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka established a strategic cooperative partnership and made new progress in pragmatic cooperation in various sectors.
High-level exchanges between the two countries were frequent. In March, President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka sent a letter of congratulation to President Xi Jinping on his taking office and had a telephone conversation with President Xi. In September, Liu Yunshan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, visited Sri Lanka, during which he met with President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Jayaratne respectively. In March, CPPCC Vice Chairman Luo Fuhe visited Sri Lanka and attended the inauguration ceremony of the Hambantota International Airport. In October, Yan Junqi, NPC Vice Chairwoman and Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament, visited Sri Lanka. In May, President Rajapaksa paid a state visit to China, during which he met with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and Vice President Li Yuanchao respectively. The two sides issued the Joint Communiqué of the People's Republic of China and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and agreed to build a strategic cooperative partnership of sincere mutual assistance and everlasting friendship. More than ten cooperation agreements in the areas of economy, trade, agriculture and finance were signed. In June, Prime Minister Jayaratne came to China for the First China-South Asia Expo and met with Vice Premier Ma Kai. In August, Prime Minister Jayaratne attended the closing ceremony of the Second Asian Youth Games held in China.
Business cooperation was productive. In 2013, bilateral trade between China and Sri Lanka reached US$3.621 billion, up by 14.3% year on year. In April, the fifth meeting of China-Sri Lanka Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation was held in Colombo. In November, the 12th China Engineering and Technology Expo was held in Sri Lanka. Several projects undertaken by Chinese companies in Sri Lanka were successfully completed, including the Hambantota International Airport, the south container terminal of the Colombo port and the Colombo Airport highway.
Cultural, people-to-people, defense and maritime cooperation was further expanded. Several ministers of Sri Lanka visited China or attended international conferences in China. Art groups of the two countries exchanged visits and staged performances in each other's country. The number of Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka increased substantially. Lincang City of Yunnan Province of China and Gampola City of Central Province of Sri Lanka became sister cities. In May, the two countries signed the Agreement on Youth Exchange and Cooperation Between the China National Youth Union and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Capability Development of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Capability Development of Sri Lanka exchanged visits. In November, Lieutenant General Wang Guanzhong, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the PLA, visited Sri Lanka. Rear Admiral Guan Jianguo, Deputy Chief of Staff of the PLA Navy, attended the Fourth Galle Dialogue Maritime Conference in Sri Lanka. From the Sri Lankan side, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Secretary of Defense and Urban Development and Vice Admiral Colombage, Commander of the Navy, visited China. In August, the inaugural meeting of the China-Sri Lanka Joint Committee on Maritime Cooperation was held in Beijing.
The two countries supported each other on major issues, maintained close communication and coordination on regional and international affairs, and conducted sound cooperation on human rights and other areas. In July, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Deputy Minister of External Affairs Neomal Perera on the sidelines of the 20th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum. China continued to assist Sri Lanka to the best of its ability. In early 2013, China provided US$50,000 of cash assistance to Sri Lanka for flood relief purposes.
Editor:Yaling
