Sri Lanka Signs New Agreements With China

Sri Lankan and China are further strengthening their bilateral relations with a number of new agreements that will be signed between officials of the two countries in the next few days.

A Chinese delegation led by Qin Guangrong, the governor of the Yunnan Province, arrived in Sri Lanka Tuesday with a delegation of about 200 representatives. According to the external affairs ministry, the delegation comprising government officials and members of the business community is on a three-day visit.

The Chinese business leaders will attend a forum organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, giving them an opportunity to network with their counterparts in Sri Lanka.

Cooperation in the sector of higher education will be a key focus. According to a statement on the government information website, Sri Lanka and Yunnan Province will sign a memorandum of understanding that will create exchange programs and provide scholarships for Sri Lankan students to study in universities in the Yunnan Province and assistance for Yunnan students to study in Sri Lankan universities. The program also envisions setting up exchange programs for lecturers.

Other agreements include projects in the sectors of power generation, agriculture, telecommunications and tourism though no information was available about what kinds of programs are being proposed.

The delegation met with Sri Lankan Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne on Tuesday and is scheduled to meet with President Mahinda RajapaksaMahinda Rajapaksa, Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and the Minister of Public Management Reforms Ratnasiri Wickramanayake.

The two countries already share close political and economic ties. Earlier this month, the Sri Lankan president opened the new port in the southern city of Hambantota. China invested heavily in that project by offering 85 percent of the funds. Sri Lanka’s relations with China have become so strong in recent years that it has India concerned about the emerging superpower’s influence in the region.