Beijing, February 17th - the Communist Party of China(CPC) and the major political parties of Sri Lanka jointly celebrated the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka and the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Rubber-Rice Pact online and offline. About 20 main leaders of major political parties in Sri Lanka including Mahinda Rajapaksa, Leader of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, Chairman of Freedom Party and former President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Leader of United National Party and former Prime Minister, Weerasinghe, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, cabinet ministers, and members of Parliament of Sri Lanka were present. About 700 representatives from all walks of life in Sri Lanka attended the celebration.

Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, read the congratulatory letter from General Secretary Xi Jinping. Song said that the friendly relations between China and Sri Lanka enjoy a long history, and the signing of the Rubber-Rice Pact has opened the door for friendly exchanges between the two countries. The spirit of the pact characterized by independence, self-reliance, unity and mutual support has become a valuable asset for the development of China-Sri Lanka relations, which guides the steady progress of China-Sri Lanka relations. Since the establishment of the diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka, the political mutual trust between the two countries has been continuously strengthened, and the economic cooperation has become increasingly close. In 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Sri Lankan leader jointly elevated China-Sri Lanka relations to the strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincerity, mutual assistance and generations of friendship. In 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to Sri Lanka, which opened a new chapter of China-Sri Lanka friendly cooperation. The two countries support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests, and the China-Sri Lanka relationship has set an example of  friendly coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between large and small countries.

Song expressed, in the development of the friendly relations between China and Sri Lanka, the political parties of the two countries have carried out exchanges and mutual learning on party governance and state administration, and deepened cooperation around the historical mission of seeking happiness for the people. At present, the world is going through profound and grand changes of the times, and the China-Sri Lanka relationship is also standing at a new starting point. Guided by the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter, the CPC is willing to work with all political parties in Sri Lanka to give full play to the political leading role of political parties, deepen the traditional friendship and political mutual trust, and support each other in taking a development path that suits its national conditions; make good use of inter-party platforms such as the political party consultation mechanism under the Belt and Road Initiative and the “political party +” cooperation to promote better alignment between international initiatives on development and Sri Lanka’s development needs, and make new contributions to building a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future in the new era; jointly practice true multilateralism, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of people in developing countries and around the world, and inject positive energy into the peaceful development of the region and the world. The 20th National Congress of the CPC will be held in the second half of 2022. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the CPC will unite and lead the Chinese people to create a better future and better benefit the region and the world. Song Tao briefed on the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Leaders of political parties of Sri Lanka, including Mahinda Rajapaksa, Leader of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka warmly congratulated on the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and China and the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Rubber-Rice Pact, and expressed that the friendship between Sri Lanka and China is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the relations between the two countries have withstood the test of time. They spoke highly of China’s remarkable achievements made in economic and social development, such as poverty alleviation, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. They appreciate China for its strong support in the fight against Covid-19, infrastructure construction and other fields. The Sri Lankan side regards China as a true friend, and the help given by the Chinese people will always be remembered by the Sri Lankan people. We are willing to work with the CPC to carry forward the spirit of the Rubber-Rice Pact, deepen political mutual trust under the guidance of inter-party relations, promote cooperation between our two countries in such areas as economy, culture, society, security, anti-epidemic, and the Belt and Road cooperation, so as to jointly benefit the two peoples. The leaders of the political parties of Sri Lanka also congratulated China for successfully hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and wished the 20th CPC National Congress a complete success.

Chen Zhou, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Qi Zhenhong, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, and others attended the event.

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