CPC Chongqing Municipal Secretary Dr Yuan Jiajun meeting with Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene strengthens bilateral ties for prosperity.
Chongqing Municipality in China, with a proud record of elevating millions of people above the poverty-line, is to assist Sri Lanka’s poverty alleviation and food security programmes.
Addressing China (Chongqing) – Sri Lanka Roundtable on Poverty Alleviation and Development Co-operation at the Temple Trees in Colombo on July 22, Secretary of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee Dr. Yuan Jiajun assured every possible assistance to ensure speedy progress in poverty alleviation and food security.
He said Chongqing could help Sri Lanka to double its rice production by introducing hybrid rice varieties developed by China. In addition to hybrid rice, Chongqing has also developed rice varieties that can be grown in dry zones with water shortages and also in saline lands near the seacoast, he said.
Governing body
Dr. Yuan, who is also a Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, which is the powerful governing body, said that he would work towards enhancing Co-operation with Sri Lanka on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and strengthen collaboration on poverty alleviation.
“Sri Lanka and China are a model for friendly co-existence and win-win relations between countries with different systems,” Dr. Yuan said when he called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat. He said the CPC is willing to continue strengthening exchanges and mutual learning with Sri Lankan political parties and to contribute to the development of bilateral relations and their respective national development.
Dr. Yuan appreciated the Government’s steadfast efforts to stabilize Sri Lanka’s economy amid challenging circumstances. He expressed optimism and confidence in the country’s future economic growth trajectory.
Sub-national exchanges
President Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is willing to cooperate with China to strengthen their all-round practical Co-operation, deepen interparty and sub-national exchanges, promote the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road, and welcome investors from Chongqing to invest in Sri Lanka.
Following the meeting, the high-level Chongqing delegation called on Prime Minister at the Temple Trees. “China is willing to join hands with the Sri Lankan side at all levels to push to a new level the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincere mutual assistance and lasting friendship,” Dr. Yuan assured the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister, pointing out that China is a great friend of Sri Lanka, thanked the Chinese side for providing strong support for the country’s economic and social development over the years. The Prime Minister requested the delegation to share Chongqing’s experience of successfully alleviating poverty and ensuring food security by using hybrid rice and other food crops to increase production by several times.
Later addressing Roundtable on Poverty Alleviation and Development Co-operation at the Temple Trees, the Chongqing leader said that Chongqing stands ready to boost Co-operation with Sri Lanka on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, jointly enhance the level of openness and development, strengthen collaboration on poverty alleviation, and better promote the high-quality economic and social development of the two countries.
While Foreign Minister Ali Sabry made the opening speech at the Roundtable, senior ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayantha, and Nalin Fernando and Ministers of State Anupa Pasqual and Diana Gamage stressed the potential for close collaboration between Sri Lanka and Chongqing on ports, shipping, aviation, education and culture, trade and investment, social development and poverty alleviation, women empowerment and tourism.
Regional Co-operation
Foreign Minister Ali Sabry presented Sri Lanka’s ambitious development plans, with a primary focus on enhancing connectivity with the rest of Asia. Emphasizing the importance of regional Co-operation, he outlined how these plans would foster economic growth and facilitate increased trade and investment opportunities.
While highlighting the excellent relationship in political, economic, trade, investment, tourism and financial spheres, Minister Sabry said there is vast potential to expand Co-operation further. He reaffirmed China’s role as an important development partner and appreciated the assistance provided by China.
The Minister briefed the Chongqing delegation about the progress being made in economic recovery and added that further expanding the economic Co-operation between the two countries would be particularly beneficial to Sri Lanka in its economic recovery.
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva urged the Chinese delegation to introduce additional flights to Sri Lanka because of the increase in tourism as well as business visits. He expressed satisfaction over the progress in the Port of Colombo and Hambantota Port and called for more Chinese investments in industrial zones. He also referred to close Co-operation in the energy sector and pointed out that Sinopec will enter fuel distribution in Sri Lanka by next month.
“We are grateful to China for proving school uniforms, thus fulfilling 70% of our requirement,” Minister Susil Premajayantha said at the Roundtable. He also assured support for the expansion of academic exchanges between Chongqing and Sri Lanka. There is keen interest among youth to study Chinese Language and China could assist teaching institutions and youth skill development institutions, he said.
Large-scale investments
Dr. Yuan Jiajun assured that China would extend its fullest Co-operation by encouraging large-scale investments in industrial and agricultural spheres. He also agreed to provide experts on hybrid rice varieties and other food crops to Sri Lanka. “You have vast flat lands all over the country suitable for rice and other crops and we will extend assistance to increase harvest by several folds,” he said.
Ambassador of China Qi Zhenhong, Vice Minister Guo Yezhou, Vice Mayor of Chongqing Municipal Government Chen Mingbo, Secretary Luo Lin, CPC Director General of International Department Peng Xiubin and Chongqing Deputy Secretary General Guan Zhongxiao were present at the roundtable discussion.
Liu Guizhong, Director of the Municipal Rural Revitalization Bureau, of Chongqing, spoke on poverty alleviation experience and promoting agricultural co-operation between Chongqing and Sri Lanka. Li Xufeng, Secretary of the Party Committee of Southwest University briefed the Roundtable about launching a hybrid rice technical assistance programme in Sri Lanka and made a presentation on building an international agricultural technical Co-operation project.
Zhang Yongwu, Director of the Chongqing Municipal Commerce Commission discussed the potential for promoting business Co-operation between Chongqing and Sri Lanka. Liu Yanbing, director of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission briefed how the Chongqing Municipality could assist Sri Lanka in developing school and university education in Sri Lanka.
Minister of Social Empowerment Anupa Pasqual and Chongqing Standing Committee Member Chen Mingbo made concluding remarks, pointing out the importance of Co-operation and enhancing high-level and people-to-people exchanges.
