China’s newly appointed Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Wei Huaxiang, has pledged to further strengthen the longstanding friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Sri Lanka following his arrival in Colombo.
Ambassador Wei arrived in Sri Lanka on August 11 and said it was a “great honor and privilege” to have been appointed by Chinese President Xi Jinping as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Sri Lanka.
In a written speech delivered upon his arrival, Wei highlighted the historical ties between the two countries, including their links through the ancient Silk Road and the Rubber-Rice Pact, as well as more recent cooperation under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
He said bilateral cooperation has delivered tangible benefits to both countries, citing initiatives such as the China-Sri Lanka Joint Research and Demonstration Centre for Water Technology and China’s provision of school uniform fabric for Sri Lankan students.
The Ambassador also recalled meetings between President Xi Jinping and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya during their respective visits to China in 2025, saying these high-level engagements had provided new strategic direction for bilateral relations.
“China always takes Sri Lanka as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy,” Wei said, describing the two countries as development partners and “good brothers and good friends that share weal and woe.”
He said China is ready to work with Sri Lanka to align development strategies, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and further deepen the countries’ strategic cooperative partnership.
Wei noted that 2027 will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka, as well as the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Rubber-Rice Pact.
The Ambassador pledged to work with his colleagues to strengthen the traditional friendship between the two countries, expand bilateral cooperation and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese institutions and citizens in Sri Lanka.
He also called for closer communication with different sectors in both countries as he begins his tenure in Colombo.
