Sri Lanka, China ink MoUs to boost trade partnership 

Sri Lanka and China person signed 2 Memoranda of Understanding to acceptable up a moving radical connected commercialized facilitation, and connected concern and proviso concatenation cooperation, the Chinese Embassy successful Colombo said.

“China and Sri Lanka person taken steps to deepen economical and commercialized cooperation, signing cardinal agreements and exploring further concern opportunities during the eighth gathering of the China-Sri Lanka Joint Trade and Economic Commission held connected May 29th successful Colombo,” the Embassy said connected societal media level ‘X’ connected Sunday.

The gathering was jointly chaired by China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Sri Lankan Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Co-operative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe. “Both sides exchanged in-depth views connected advancing high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation, expanding commercialized and investment, and safeguarding the multilateral trading system,” the Chinese Embassy’s station said.

Minister Wang besides met President Dissanayake during his visit.

According a connection issued by the President’s office, Minister Wang noted that considering “the existent governmental and economical stableness successful Sri Lanka, on with the wide argumentation direction” of the Dissanayake administration, “there has been a notable emergence successful involvement from Chinese investors looking to put successful the country.”

“We discussed enhancing our commercialized relations and expediting improvement projects successful Sri Lanka. Exciting times up with accrued involvement from Chinese investors,” Mr. Dissanayake said connected societal level ‘X’ pursuing the meeting.

The bilateral initiatives instrumentality disconnected from deliberations held during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to China successful January this year, soon aft helium visited India successful December 2024, making New Delhi his archetypal halt overseas aft assuming bureau successful September 2024.

A associated connection issued connected Mr. Dissanayake’s China sojourn said the 2 sides agreed to enactment connected the “early decision of a broad escaped commercialized agreement.” Speaking astatine an investors’ forum successful Colombo during his sojourn Mr. Wang, according to section work Economynext, said: “It is hoped that the 2 sides proceed to enactment toward the decision of a broad escaped commercialized statement successful 1 package, successful enactment with the principles of equality, communal benefit.”

New Delhi and Beijing are keen to cultivate adjacent ties with the leftist Sri Lankan leader, who has repeatedly emphasised a non-aligned overseas argumentation that would prioritise Sri Lanka’s interests. India and sections wrong Sri Lanka person been highlighting the request to resume bilateral talks connected Economic and Technological Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) — stalled astatine antithetic points — particularly successful the discourse of U.S. President Donald Trump’s determination to slap tariffs connected commercialized partners. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sojourn to Sri Lanka successful April 2025, the 2 sides inked 7 MoUs, including 1 connected defence cooperation.

Last month, Sri Lanka’s Cabinet approved a connection for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) betwixt China’s Chongqing Transmission Corporation Limited and the state-run Rupavahini Corporation to “promote communal understanding, fortify cooperation, and speech grooming opportunities successful the tract of media”.

Published - June 09, 2025 03:43 p.m. IST