Mahinda Rajapaksa meets Xi Jinping

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Saturday on the sidelines of the 70th anniversary of Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. 

During their discussions, Xi and Rajapaksa discussed areas of mutual interest and the development projects going forward. 

Rajapaksa in a statement on X said he was 'thrilled' to meet his old friend Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the anniversary celebrations and said together, countries should strive to build a peaceful and cooperative world. 

Rajapaksa is in Beijing on a four day official visit on an invitation extended by Foreign Minister Wang Yi and during his stay he held discussions with leading Chinese officials. 

China last week agreed on a debt restructuring agreement with Sri Lanka along with the Paris Club and India.