President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent trip to China serves as an indication of the improving economic stability in Sri Lanka, as the country gradually emerges from its economic challenges.
Participating in the “One Belt – One Road” international cooperation conference in China, the President embarked on a four-day official visit to China from October 16 to 20.
During this visit, he engaged in discussions with the Chinese President, Vice Prime Minister, Government officials, academics, business leaders, and various other stakeholders.
The “One Belt – One Road” international cooperation conference, which originated from the vision of Chinese President Xi Jinping, convened for the third time this year. The conference took place over five days in Beijing and drew the participation of diplomatic envoys from 130 countries, including the leaders of 20 nations.
During the conference, the Chinese President introduced an eight-point policy framework envisioned as the foundation for the future of the “One Belt – One Road” initiative. He emphasised that the fundamental essence of this concept is to foster collective cooperation and advancement through mutual support.
President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China expressed his willingness to assist Sri Lanka in building a stable economy without any ulterior political motives. His objective is to collaborate closely with President Ranil Wickremesinghe. This note encapsulates the essence of the President’s visit to China.
Commencing his visit, on the afternoon of October 16, President Ranil Wickremesinghe attended an investment, trade, and tourism session hosted at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beijing.
During this session, he presented Sri Lanka as a prospective hub for future business endeavours, especially as the country advances towards becoming a competitive, eco-friendly, and digitally oriented economy. The President extended an invitation to Chinese entrepreneurs to partake in this journey.
The President also underscored that owing to Sri Lanka’s strategic geographical location, there exists a unique opportunity for the Asian region to utilise Sri Lanka as a gateway to access the Western market.
The delegation led by President Wickremesinghe paid a visit to Huawei’s research and development centre in Beijing on the morning of October 17. During this visit, they engaged with Huawei representatives in China.
Simon Lin, Senior Vice President of Huawei’s Institute of Technology and President of Huawei’s Asia Pacific Region, expressed his company’s willingness to offer support for an annual study program aimed at producing software and hardware engineers in Sri Lanka.
President Wickremesinghe stressed the necessity of building a highly competitive digital and environmentally sustainable economy in Sri Lanka to effectively confront the challenges of the future.
He highlighted that the groundwork for this transformation is currently under way. Additionally, an agreement was signed for Huawei to support the digitisation of schools in Sri Lanka during this visit.
On October 18, during the third day of the visit, President Ranil Wickremesinghe delivered an address at the conference titled “Green Silk Road for Natural Harmony” at the China International Conference Hall in conjunction with the 3rd “One Belt – One Road” International Conference.
The conference commenced under the leadership of the Vice President of the People’s Republic of China, Han Zheng, and featured comments from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and other heads of State from various countries.
During his address at the conference, President Wickremesinghe emphasised the need to initiate a dedicated program that places particular emphasis on tropical countries in order to effectively address the challenges posed by future climate changes.
The President highlighted that 80 percent of the world’s endemic plant species, as well as 50 percent of all corals and mangroves, are concentrated in tropical regions. He said that Sri Lanka is actively engaged in the establishment of an international university specialising in climate change, taking into account this unique ecological significance.
The President said the imperative for the global community to unite in seeking solutions to mitigate climate change. To achieve this, he put forward three proposals for consideration: providing debt relief to low-income countries, offering concessional loans to high-income countries, and collaborating with multilateral organisations such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Support
In response to the proposals put forth by the President of Sri Lanka, several Chinese institutions engaged in climate-related initiatives expressed their willingness to offer support from both academic and technological perspectives regarding Sri Lanka’s plan to establish an international university focused on climate change.
This commitment was made during discussions with President Wickremesinghe on October 19.
The representatives acknowledged that Sri Lanka’s endeavour to establish an international university specialising in climate change is not only timely but also visionary in its approach.
During the afternoon, a bilateral meeting took place between President Wickremesinghe and the Chinese Vice Premier in Beijing. Chinese Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan expressed deep gratitude for the support Sri Lanka provided to China through the historic Rubber-Rice Agreement with the People’s Republic of China. He affirmed China’s enduring commitment to extending its support to Sri Lanka.
The Chinese Vice Premier pledged full support for the development of Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port within the framework of the “One Belt – One Road” initiative. He expressed his confidence that both projects would be successfully accomplished under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
President Wickremesinghe also expressed Sri Lanka’s aspiration to establish a free trade agreement with China. He outlined Sri Lanka’s efforts to secure membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) or the Regional Economic Relations Organization.
The delegation, led by President Wickremesinghe, engaged in discussions with representatives from prominent Chinese companies, including China Communications Construction Corporation, Sinopec and BYD. The deliberations primarily centred on matters related to the development of the Port City as an international financial hub, the establishment of new financial regulations for the Port City area, and the creation of specific judicial and arbitration procedures confined to the Port City precinct.
Topics
Various subjects were addressed during these discussions, encompassing topics such as the electrification of Sri Lanka’s transportation systems, the assembly of electric vehicles, and the introduction of electric train services.
During the afternoon, the President held a conversation with Ven. Yin Lee of the “White Horse” Temple in Beijing.
It’s noteworthy that during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as Prime Minister, the construction of the Sri Lankan temple complex that includes the “White Horse” Temple was originally initiated by the then Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. However, the project encountered delays and was not completed.
In light of this, the President issued directives to recommence the construction of the Sri Lankan temple and to formulate new plans for the temple.
As a result, President Wickremesinghe said that the construction of a temple and a stupa, designed to embody Sri Lankan traditional architectural characteristics, within the precincts of the “White Horse” Temple in Henan province, widely regarded as the first Buddhist shrine in China, will soon commence.
The President also revealed that copies of Buddhist Pali scriptures, originally brought from Sri Lanka to China by Monk Fahian, will be presented by Sri Lanka to be housed in this temple.
A bilateral meeting took place between President Wickremesinghe and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the morning of October 20 at the Great Hall of the People. During the meeting, the Chinese President pledged to offer Sri Lanka-friendly, practical, and expedient support for its debt optimisation program.
The Chinese President acknowledged that Sri Lanka’s strategic independence was evident in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s address at the United Nations General Assembly and commended Sri Lanka’s neutral position.
President Wickremesinghe, in turn, expressed Sri Lanka’s aspiration to establish a maritime economic corridor linking China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. The Chinese President urged the President of Sri Lanka to spearhead this initiative.
Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Mass Media, represented Sri Lanka at the 29th ITS World Congress Ministerial Conference held in China.
During the conference, he highlighted that the “One Belt One Road” initiative has generated numerous distinctive opportunities for a wide range of construction and infrastructure development projects in many countries.
Dr. Bandula Gunawardena said that the One Belt One Road program is set to play a significant role in enhancing connectivity both within and between countries.
This initiative will facilitate investments in new railways, roads, ports, and various other infrastructure projects, particularly benefiting nations with infrastructure requirements, he said.
Dr. Bandula Gunawardena underlined China’s noteworthy contribution to Sri Lanka’s social and economic development. He pointed out that China has successfully executed a range of projects aimed at improving infrastructure, including transportation, water supply, electricity, and port facilities in Sri Lanka.
Dr. Bandula Gunawardena also extended his appreciation for China’s provision of over 1,200 annual opportunities for scholarships, training programs, and internships to Sri Lanka since 2015.
Framework
Additionally, Dr. Bandula Gunawardena sid that Sri Lanka possesses the potential to evolve into an economic centre within the framework of the “One Belt One Road” initiative.
He highlighted that the One Belt One Road program can play a distinctive role in fostering Sri Lanka’s ambition to become a prominent hub for supply, trade, and manufacturing in the region.
The conference has provided an opportunity to establish a robust relationship characterised by friendship, trust, and mutual understanding, he noted. The Minister also expressed his belief that through collaboration, sustainable growth, mutual benefits, and a more interconnected world can be realised.
