President to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on January 15

• Will meet Chinese PM, expected to visit Chengdu in Sichuan Province  

By Kelum Bandara 

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 15 in Beijing during his state visit to China, Daily Mirror learns. He will undertake a tour of China from January 14 to 17, the second such visit after India. The President will also meet with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang the same day and Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee the following day.  

 During the visit, around ten MoUs covering various aspects are expected to be signed. One of them will be related to media cooperation between the two countries. During the visit, the presidential entourage will travel to Chendu which is the capital of Sichuan province of China.   

The President will embark on this visit at a time when his government is under compulsion to strike a balance in ties between India and China.   

Ahead of the visit, Sri Lanka Cabinet approves a proposal reaffirming Sri Lanka’s acceptance of ‘One China Principle’.   

 Sri Lankan government has continuously followed the “One China Policy” and, by that it is accepted that legitimate China is only the People’s Republic of China and, Taiwan is only a province of China, according to the Cabinet note.   

The one-China principle is a universally recognized basic norm governing international relations and a prevailing international consensus. It is the political foundation on which China establishes and develops bilateral relations with the countries in the world. Sri Lanka has maintained this policy right throughout.   
The new government has also committed to advancing high-quality development under China’s multi-billion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).