China's Xi accorded grand welcome in Sri Lanka

Chinese President Xi Jinping who arrived here today on a maiden visit to Sri Lanka was accorded a grand welcome.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa received Xi at the airport who became the first Chinese leader to visit Sri Lanka since 1986.
Since the advent of Rajapaksa's presidency, Sri Lanka has looked up to China as its main development partner.
At least 20 bilateral agreements in the power sector, industry, sea reclamation and water supply and several other areas of engagement running into multi-billion-dollar investments are to be signed during Xi's two-day visit, including for construction of a Beijing-funded USD 1.4 billion port city, local officials said.

Under Rajapaksa, China became Sri Lanka's largest development partner with projects varying from airports, sea ports, road infrastructure and power generation.
A free trade agreement between the two countries is to be signed. Bilateral trade exceeded USD 3 billion in 2013.
This is the second high-profile Sri Lanka visit by a foreign dignitary this month.
Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a whistle-stop tour largely aimed at rekindling Japan-Sri Lanka relations in the face of growing Chinese influence in the island.