Lankan PM congratulates Xi for securing 2nd term as CPC head

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping for being re-elected as the head of the ruling Communist Party, saying it is his fervent belief that Sri Lanka's close affinity with China will continue to flourish under his watch.
Xi, 64, has secured a second five-year term as the head of the ruling Communist Party as it unveiled its new leadership with the Chinese president attaining iconic status enjoyed by modern China's founder Chairman Mao Zedong.
The longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and China built upon mutual respect, solidarity trust and understanding has led, over the decades, to both countries reaching new and historic milestones in our time-tested bilateral partnership, Wickremesinghe said.

The Lankan Prime Minister said that it is his fervent belief that the close affinity and collaboration will continue to further flourish and expand for the benefit of the people of the two countries during Xi's second term of office.
Wickremesinghe in his role as the Economic Affairs Minister has been responsible for forging the alliance with China after the ouster of President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015.
His party in Opposition had been critical of Rajapaksa's many high cost Chinese funded infrastructure projects.

Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena's unity government ordered to halt the Chinese port city project in Colombo on the reclaimed sea land. The project was resumed after China pressured the new government.

Wickremesinghe has also faced opposition's criticism over the long lease to China of the southern port at Hambantota, which was another Rajapaksa project.
China has invested about USD eight billion in Sri Lanka in the last few years in various projects.
Beijing wants Colombo to play a major role in its 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR), which is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
New Delhi has reservation over the MSR as it would significantly enhance China's presence in the Indian Ocean region, regarded as the backyard of India.
China has already secured Sri Lanka's Hambantota Port as part of debt swap and currently invested heavily in the Colombo Port project.

Sri Lanka, however, has said that it will not allow its ports to be used docking Chinese military vessels.