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Premier Rajapaksa explains why China is such a good friend

Published

4 years ago

2021/07/9

China had never sought to impose its own political views on the world, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Tuesday (6) addressing a virtual conference conducted to mark the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

China has also never felt the need to manipulate the affairs of other countries and it had always helped the other countries, treating them as equals, Rajapaksa said.

“This is especially important for a country’s independence as well as its sovereignty. Therefore, countries never hesitated to deal with China, because they are allowed to maintain their independence. It is the same for Sri Lanka. That is why most doors of the world were opened to China. This policy is very important for the progress of China, internationally. It has now become clear that China will lead the rise of Asia in the century ahead,” he said.

Prime Minister Rajapaksa said that no one in the Global South was interested in dividing the world into two camps and that China had done a historic service to relieve the suffering of Asian and African countries.

“It was China that helped the world, which was facing difficulties due to the division of the world into two camps. At that time, Zhou Enlai brought the idea of non-aligned nations to the world, for world relief. That non-aligned policy is still a relief to the world today,” he said.

The Premier also said that the Belt and Road Initiative was not something alien to Sri Lanka, which was a part of the ancient Silk Road connecting China with Europe.

Given below are excerpts of the speech: “I wish to express my warmest felicitations together with the people of my country on the occasion of the 100-year anniversary of the Communist Party of China.

“The honour of this historical relationship China has had with us is also included in this felicitation.

China has been a historical friend. And, based on our long-standing cooperation, we must acknowledge that China is one of our most sincere friends.

“To celebrate both the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China as well as the

long-standing diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka, we have taken steps to issue a

commemorative coin. It has now been 72 years since the CPC converted China into a Red China.

“Sri Lanka established Diplomatic Relations with the Chinese Government back in 1957. However, the leftist parties of our country have had relations with the CPC even before that. The Communist Party of Sri Lanka, in particular, has had relations with the Communist Party of China since the 1940s. I am pleased to say that we have been able to maintain good relations with the CPC because Sri Lankans also value equality and brotherhood.

“The Communist Party of China is currently the world’s largest political party, which has delivered a very important message to the world on foreign relations for the past 70 years. I am aware that it was the foreign policy positions of the CPC that elevated China on the global stage. However, China has never tried to impose its own political views on the world.

“China has also never felt the need to manipulate the affairs of other countries. China has helped

the other countries, keeping them at the same level, which is a very important matter for a country’s independence as well as its sovereignty. Therefore, countries never hesitated to deal with China, because they were allowed to maintain their independence. It is the same for Sri Lanka. That is why most doors of the world were opened to China. This policy is very important for the progress of China, internationally. It has now become clear that China will lead the rise of

Asia in the century ahead.

“The open economy has spread throughout the world, changing the very structure of many countries. “However, China accepted the open economy in a way that was suitable to China. Therefore, China did not accept the open economy as something that divides the country into classes and weakens the country. Instead, China has successfully eradicated poverty of 900 million people under its open economic policy and set a great example to the world by the way it adopted the open economy. I am confident that, China will bring back the economic strength that Asia had five hundred years ago through this Silk Road.

“China always believed that improving infrastructure will provide new ways and new strengths for the people. Therefore, we have constantly invited China to help develop the infrastructure of our country. China has also pledged to become a carbon neutral country by 2060. Therefore, countries on the Silk Road, which make use of the investments from China, will also have to work with a similar objective, not only to make countries carbon neutral but also for countries around the Indian Ocean to be free of pollution.

“I must also express my gratitude to China for the development and generous donations of the Sinopharm vaccine. The CPC set an example to the world by producing the vaccine and sharing it with the world. The motto of the World Health Organisation in the face of this epidemic was that everyone should be vaccinated, whether rich or poor. In this context, it is further admirable that China has given approval for the production of the Sinopharm vaccine in countries like ours. During a global pandemic such as this, decisions initiated by the CPC will be respected as those taken for the benefit of humanity.”

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Navy seizes an Indian fishing trawler poaching in Sri Lankan waters north of Talaimannar

Published

40 mins ago

2025/12/24

Priyan

During an operation conducted in the wee hours of Tuesday (23 Dec 25), the Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing trawler and apprehended 12 Indian fishermen, while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters north of Talaimannar.

Recognizing the detrimental effects of poaching on marine resources and the livelihoods of local fishing communities, the Sri Lanka Navy continues to conduct regular operations as
proactive measures to deter such activities. These efforts underscore the collective robust approach steadfast commitment to safeguarding the nation’s marine ecosystems while ensuring the economic security and wellbeing of its citizens.

The fishing trawler along with the fishermen held in this operation was handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mannar for onward legal proceedings.

News

India’s External Affairs Minister meets Sri Lanka PM

Published

5 hours ago

2025/12/24

Priyan

India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subramaniam Jaishankar, met with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, on 23 December at Temple Trees, during his visit to Sri Lanka as the Special Envoy of Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

The meeting took place as part of the official visit aimed at holding discussions with Sri Lanka’s top leadership, at a time when the nation commenced reconstruction efforts following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

During the discussions, the Minister of External Affairs of India reaffirmed readiness to extend support for Sri Lanka, including assistance in rebuilding railways, bridges, and strengthening of the agricultural sector in the country. He also highlighted the importance of having effective systems in place to respond to disaster situations, supported by strong legislative, administrative, and institutional frameworks. Both sides reviewed ongoing relief efforts and explored avenues to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in disaster response and recovery.

The Prime Minister commended the Government of India for the continued support, noting that the recovery process following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah include beyond immediate relief efforts to long-term measures such as resettlement, and reconstruction of habilitation and infrastructure.

The Prime Minister further stated that steps have been taken to reopen schools as part of the process of restoring normalcy, with close monitoring in place. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to ensure stability, reduce vulnerability, and strengthen protection mechanisms highlighting the solidarity of the people, their strong spirit of volunteerism, and collective action demonstrated during the emergency situation.

The event was attended by the High Commissioner of India Santosh Jha, Additional Secretary (IOR), MEA Puneet Agrawal, Joint Secretary (EAMO), MEA Sandeep Kumar Bayyapu, Deputy High Commissioner Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, and representing Sri Lankan delegation, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Additional Secretary to the Prime minister Ms.Sagarika Bogahawatta, Director General (South Asia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs Samantha Pathirana, Deputy Director, South Asia Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms.Diana Perera.

[Prime minister’s media division]

News

Sri Lanka’s coastline faces unfolding catastrophe: Expert

Published

6 hours ago

2025/12/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

Sri Lanka is standing on the edge of a coastal catastrophe, with the nation’s lifeline rapidly eroding under the combined assault of climate change, reckless development and weak compliance, Director General of the Department of Coast Conservation and Coastal Resource Management (DCC&CRM) Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara has warned.

“This is no longer an environmental warning we can afford to ignore. The crisis is already unfolding before our eyes,” Dr. Kumara told The Island, cautioning that the degradation of Sri Lanka’s 1,620-kilometre coastline has reached a point where delayed action could trigger irreversible damage to ecosystems, livelihoods and national security.

He said accelerating coastal erosion, rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion and the collapse of natural barriers, such as coral reefs and mangroves, are placing entire coastal communities at risk. “When mangroves disappear and reefs are destroyed, villages lose their first line of defence. What follows are floods, loss of homes, declining fisheries and forced displacement,” he said.

Dr. Kumara stressed that the coastline is not merely a development frontier but the backbone of Sri Lanka’s economy and cultural identity. “More than half of our tourism assets, fisheries and key infrastructure are concentrated along the coast.

If the coast fails, the economy will feel the shock immediately,” he warned.

Condemning unregulated construction, illegal sand mining and environmentally blind infrastructure projects, he said short-term economic interests are pushing the coastline towards collapse. “We cannot keep fixing one eroding beach while creating three new erosion sites elsewhere. That is not management—it is destruction,” he said, calling for science-driven, ecosystem-based solutions instead of politically convenient quick fixes.

The Director General said the Department is intensifying enforcement and shifting towards integrated coastal zone management, but warned that laws alone will not save the coast. “This is a shared responsibility. Policymakers, developers, local authorities and the public must understand that every illegal structure, every destroyed mangrove, weakens the island’s natural shield,” he added.

With climate change intensifying storms and sea surges, Dr. Kumara warned that Sri Lanka’s vulnerability will only worsen without urgent, coordinated national action. “The sea has shaped this nation’s history and protected it for centuries. If we fail to protect the coast today, we will be remembered as the generation that allowed the island itself to be slowly eaten away,” he went on to say.

By Ifham Nizam