Xi Jinping meets Sri Lankan PM

(Xinhua/Li Xiang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is in Beijing to attend the Global Women’s Summit.

Noting that China and Sri Lanka enjoy a long-standing traditional friendship, Xi said China stands ready to work with Sri Lanka to advance the friendship, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future and bring more benefits to the people of the two countries.

China is willing to jointly promote high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative with Sri Lanka, and expand cooperation in areas such as port economy, modern agriculture, digital economy, green economy and tourism, Xi said.

The two countries should strengthen cooperation in law enforcement and security, and firmly combat cross-border gambling, fraud and other criminal activities, he said.

Xi also called on the two countries to deepen coordination and cooperation under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and firmly safeguard the common interests of the Global South.

For her part, Amarasuriya said her country supports and actively participates in high-quality cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative. Sri Lanka is ready to deepen cooperation with China for further progress in its own development, according to the Prime Minister.

The four global initiatives presented by Xi are of great significance in the current tumultuous international landscape, and Sri Lanka will implement these initiatives with China and jointly safeguard the common interests of the Global South, she said.

Wang Yi attended the meeting.