China, Pakistan send top diplomats to meet Gotabaya in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 December 2019, 23:24 GMT]
Newly elected SL President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was visiting New Delhi to patch up Colombo’s relations with India, was also strengthening his trust with China and Pakistan upon his return to Colombo on Monday. Former Chinese Ambassador Wu Jianghao, was visiting Mr Rajapaksa as the envoy of Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Chinese News agency Xinhua reported that Colombo and Beijing have agreed to speed up cooperation on major economic projects. In the meantime, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was also timing his visit to Mr Gotabaya on the same day.

Beijing and Colombo have agreed to strengthen their “robust political trust,” Xinhua quoted a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Colombo. Both the countries are also expected to draw up a new blueprint for future cooperation, the agency further said.

“It was not clear if it was just a coincidence or a coordinated move that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the People’s Republic of China Special Representative of State Council Wu Jianghao met with top Sri Lankan leadership on the same day,” reported Pakistan-based daily The Express Tribune, on Monday.

Both the visiting diplomats have invited Gotabaya Rajapaksa to visit their respective countries, the news reports further said.

External Links:

Xinhua:		China, Sri Lanka to accelerate implementation of cooperation on big economic projects
The Express Tribune:		Pakistan, China on charm offensive in Sri Lanka

Chronology: