China grants important diplomatic status to SriLanka

President Maithripala Sirisena has held talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Thursday (26) in Beijing at the start of his first visit to the Asian giant since taking office in January.

"We will continue to make efforts toward building the relationship towards a new era in the traditional friendship between China and Sri Lanka," President Xi Jinping said during a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena, "Mr. President, you are an old friend of the Chinese people." China wants to "deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres, push forward genuinely helping each other in our strategic partnership", Chinese President added at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two sides were considered likely to discuss a $1.5 billion China-funded Port City Project in Colombo which new Sri Lankan Government suspended pending scrutiny of environment impacts and alleged corruption. President Maithripala Sirisena's administration has also ordered reviews of all China-funded projects. Foreign media states that President Maithripala Sirisena wants to balance Sri Lanka's China ties against those with India, which has become increasingly concerned about new Chinese economic and military inroads in the Indian Ocean.