Prez Dissanayake to visit China, PM Modi to visit Sri Lanka

Colombo, PTI: President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will embark on a three-day visit to China starting January 14. The visit signifies the 68 years of Sri Lanka-China relations, government spokesman and minister Nalinda Jayathissa said here. Dissanayake's visit to China follows his visit to India in December, his first foreign trip since assuming charge on September 21. The president will be accompanied by senior ministers, Vijitha Herath the Foreign Minister, and Bimal Rathnayaka, the Minister of Transport.

Jayathissa said a proposal by Herath to express Sri Lank's acceptance of 'One China policy' was cleared at the cabinet meeting held on Monday. “Sri Lanka has continued to accept the People's Republic in its One China policy and has treated Taiwan as a province in China,” a cabinet note released here said. In December, Dissanayake and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya met with Qin Boyong, Vice- Chairwoman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and reaffirmed the island nation's commitment to advancing high-quality development under China's multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The BRI is a mega connectivity project that connects China with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe. India is opposed to BRI, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, to further the global influence of China through its investments in building infrastructure projects.