Chinese Ambassador in Colombo Qi Zhenhong said that the trap that Sri Lanka and the region are facing today is not the so-called “debt trap,” but the “non-development trap”.
He added that China has always been the strongest partner for Sri Lanka to achieve its sustainable development and move out of the “non-development trap”, to safeguard its sovereignty, independence and national dignity, and to enhance its global and international influence.
“What Sri Lanka needs is not only debt restructuring at this moment but, more importantly, economic restructuring for the future.” Ambassador Qi was speaking at a discussion on recent high-level visits and their Indian Ocean aspects held in Colombo on Tuesday.
“China never let Sri Lanka down. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when Sri Lanka was faced with the economic crisis last year, China has been supporting Sri Lanka to the best of its ability in various forms”, he said.
“The vast majority of the Indian Ocean region are developing countries and face the same development tasks as China. However, changes of the world, of our times and of history are unfolding right now in ways like never before, which leads to rapidly growing uncertainty, instability and unpredictability”, .
He added that 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. “Over the past ten years, China has signed more than 200 documents on the BRI cooperation with 152 countries including Sri Lanka and 32 international organizations. Great progress has been made in connectivity, infrastructure, trade, and investment, bringing about 3,100 cooperation projects to beneficiary countries”, he said. Indian High Commissioner Gopal Bagley, French Ambassador in Colombo Jean-Francois Pactet and Japanese Ambassador in Colombo Mizukoshi Hideaki participated in the discussion. Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardene was the moderator.
Chaminda Perera