Sri Lankan President on an official visit to China seeking increased bilateral ties

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa will leave for China later today on a four-day official visit from August 9th to 12th at the invitation of the Chinese government, the Presidential Secretariat announced. The President will be attending World University Games as an honored Guest on an invitation extended by his Chinese counterpart President Hu Jintao.
The President will also be participating in the opening ceremony of the games, known as XXVI Summer Universiade and held in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China from August 12-23. President Rajapaksa ahead of his trip has told the Chinese news agency Xinhua that Sri Lanka is looking forward to increasing cooperation in trade and investment from China. "The high level exchanges between our two governments and the other interactions in areas of mutual interest have been most useful in developing the best relations between us. In fact it will be right to say that the relations between China and Sri Lanka are at the highest levels of friendship and understanding," Rajapaksa has said in his interview with the Chinese news agency. The President is expected to hold bilateral discussions with the Chinese leaders on trade and economic development as well as political issues that affect the country and the region. Rajapaksa has said that Sri Lanka is looking forward to increasing cooperation in trade and investment from China as the country has already taken many steps to improve the investment environment with tax rebates and having no restrictions on the remittance of profits from investment. Speaking of the post-war development and reconciliation process, the President has appreciated China's support and said the government is committed to the reconciliation among all communities, and the strengthening of peace to ensure that the dividends of peace are equitably distributed among the Sri Lankan people. "We also appreciate very much the understanding shown by China on the pressures of the post-conflict period, and the support extended to heal the wounds of war," the President has said. The President has noted that China is a very important international player and praised its fiscal policies that have prevented the global economy from being badly affected by the financial crises in other parts of the world. "We are impressed by the role that China is playing today in strengthening the economies of countries in Africa," Rajapaksa has said adding that China's growth rate is setting a benchmark for developing countries such as Sri Lanka. The President has told Xinhua that during his upcoming visit, he expects to learn more of the progress and the management styles that have contributed to China's progress and to see how Sri Lanka can learn from China's experience.