Sino-Sri Lanka ties are unshakeable: President Sirisena

Dr.  Abdul Ruff Colachal

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According to available reports, post Rajapaksha era is progressing

with both China and Sri Lanka deciding to continue with their

traditional mutual ties irrespective of regime change in Colombo.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and China's President Xi

Jinping have in a positive sense stressed the importance of

Colombo-Beijing relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his congratulatory message for

Sri Lanka's independence day that his country's ties with Sri Lanka as

"unshakeable", indicating that Beijing did not expect the change in

government in the country to have a significant impact on relations.

In a congratulatory message to Sri Lankan President Maithripala

Sirisena on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of Sri Lanka's

independence, President Xi said both countries were traditional

friendly neighbors with relations having "remained unshakeable and

become firmer as time goes by". In his message, Xi said his government

attached "great importance" to ties with Sri Lanka and was ready to

promote "powerful development" of their strategic partnership.

In a message to mark the Chinese New Year, President Sirisena noted

the importance of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Sri Lanka

last September and affirmed that ties between Sri Lanka and China will

continue at a strong level during his tenure. Sirisena pledged to

continue strong ties with China. "Looking back at 2014, I am pleased

that the historic state visit to Sri Lanka of Chinese President Xi

Jinping in September last year has provided us with the opportunity to

further elevate our robust relationship and deepen the strategic

cooperative partnership in a manner beneficial to our two countries

and peoples," the Sri Lankan president said, adding that Sri Lanka, as

a close friend of China, has always celebrated the efforts that China

has spearheaded in bringing prosperity and well-being to its people.

The Lankan president said in the statement that Sri Lanka and China

share excellent relations which have stood the test of time. It is an

all-weather friendship based on mutual respect. 2015, the 'year of the

goat' according to the Chinese Zodiac, will be a year for enhancing

relationships for further development," the president said.

When Sirisena was sworn in as the new president on Jan. 9 after

beating the former president in a presidential election, speculations

were ripe over the emerging bilateral relations between China and

Lanka.  The unexpected ousting of Mahinda Rajapaksa - under whose

decade-long tenure Sri Lanka significantly deepened economic and

strategic ties with China - raised questions on the future of

bilateral ties, with Sirisena and new Prime Minister Ranil

Wickremasinghe urging before the election for more caution in opening

up the country to foreign investments.

In a separate message to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Chinese

Premier Li Keqiang described the two countries' ties as "a paradigm

for friendly coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between

neighbouring countries".

Meanwhile, President Sirisena said in his address to the nation on

Independence Day that he will follow a moderate and balanced foreign

policy.