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We support Sri Lanka's territorial integrity: China

COLOMBO: Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday that China was confident that under his leadership the nation would "play an important role in promoting and ensuring peace and stability" in Sri Lanka and South Asia.

The Minister is on a two-day visit here. He called on Mr. Rajapaksa after holding formal talks with his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama on bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest.

A statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat quoted Mr. Yang as telling Mr. Rajapaksa that China supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and the efforts by the President to bring about a solution to the ethnic conflict and achieve ethnic solidarity.

Mr. Rajapaksa thanked China for generous assistance and cooperation especially in projects such as the Hambantota Port, Norochcholai Power Plant and the Performing Art Centre. The Chinese assistance would help Sri Lanka overcome an unexpected crisis in the power sector, it said.

Mr. Rajapaksa has been quoted as saying most projects started with China’s help are under way and Sri Lanka would encourage more investment from Chinese companies. It already decided to earmark a separate area for Chinese investment.

He told the Chinese Minister that all governments attempted to negotiate with the LTTE. However, they continued violence especially targeting civilians and hence it had become necessary to "eradicate terrorism".

Mr. Rajapaksa told him that the East had been "liberated" and the security forces are successfully moving forward to achieve "this end" in the North and restore democracy to the people there.

The statement said the Chinese Foreign Minister, who stressed the importance of continuing the strong and good relations, was appreciative of Sri Lanka’s unshaken support for "One-China Policy" and thanked the President for continued support on Taiwan and Tibet that are matters of China’s core national interests.

Following the meeting, the Foreign Ministers signed an agreement whereby China gave a grant of 50 million RMB to Sri Lanka for economic and technical cooperation in the coming year, it said.

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