President Xi Jinping met on Tuesday morning with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, as the visiting leader attends the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women. The two sides pledged to strengthen the long-standing friendship and expand cooperation across a wide range of fields under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
President Xi highlighted the enduring ties between China and Sri Lanka, noting that bilateral relations have consistently been guided by the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. “China and Sri Lanka are fellow travelers on the path toward development and revitalization, and good partners in win-win cooperation,” Xi said. He reaffirmed that Sri Lanka remains a priority in China’s neighborhood diplomacy and called for building a China–Sri Lanka community with a shared future to deliver greater benefits to both peoples.
Xi reiterated China’s firm support for Sri Lanka in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, as well as in pursuing a development model suited to its national conditions. He pledged China’s readiness to deepen cooperation in key areas including port economy, digital and green industries, modern agriculture, and tourism, and to jointly advance high-quality Belt and Road projects. Xi also called for stronger collaboration on law enforcement and security, particularly to combat cross-border gambling and telecommunications fraud.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya conveyed warm greetings from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to President Xi, commending Xi’s address at the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women as “inspirational” and reflective of China’s leadership in promoting the global advancement of women. She reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to the one-China policy, expressed appreciation for China’s long-standing support for her country’s economic recovery and social progress, and voiced interest in learning from China’s modernization experience.
Amarasuriya further expressed Sri Lanka’s willingness to work with China in implementing the Global Development, Security, Civilization, and AI Governance Initiatives proposed by President Xi, describing them as vital in navigating the current complex international landscape and in promoting the common interests of the Global South.
Meetings with Chinese Premier and CPPCC Chairman
During her visit, Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met separately with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Premier Li emphasized China’s readiness to expand trade and investment ties with Sri Lanka, and to enhance cooperation in green development, digital economy, modern agriculture, and marine economy. He noted that China is willing to import more high-quality Sri Lankan products and continue encouraging Chinese enterprises to invest in the island nation.
Amarasuriya said Sri Lanka attaches great importance to its relations with China and looks forward to expanding collaboration in infrastructure, ports, agriculture, textile industry, and poverty reduction, further enriching the outcomes of the Belt and Road partnership.
In her meeting with Wang Huning, Amarasuriya congratulated China on hosting the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women and expressed her hope to strengthen practical cooperation in education, tourism, and economic development. Wang reaffirmed the CPPCC’s readiness to contribute to the implementation of the consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders and to support the continued deepening of China–Sri Lanka relations.
