Sri Lanka and China have renewed their commitment to further high-quality development under the multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, according to a media report on Friday.
President Anura Kumara 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) on Tuesday and Wednesday, the NewsFirst news portal reported. The meetings came shortly after Dissanayake visited India, where he held wide-ranging talks with Indian leadership.
At the gathering here, Sri Lankan leaders thanked China for her efforts in the island country's economic and social development. They stressed that the "new government will jointly build the Belt and Road with high quality and deepen cooperation in various fields," says the report.
They also stated that Sri Lanka will firmly adhere to the one-China principle and is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with China. The BRI is a mega connectivity project connecting China with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Russia and Europe. India was the first country to voice reservations and stood steadfast in its opposition to BRI, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping to further the global influence of China with investments to build infrastructure projects.
New Delhi has been vocal on its criticism of BRI projects and that they must be anchored in universally recognized international norms, good governance, and the rule of law and guided by principles of openness, transparency, and financial sustainability.
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