COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — China’s new ambassador to Sri Lanka has pledged to deepen relations between the two countries and encourage greater Chinese investment, saying he had felt “no sense of being a foreigner” since arriving on the island, according to an account of his meeting with a senior leader of Sri Lanka’s governing political movement.
Ambassador Wei Huaxiang made the remarks during a meeting with Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, or J.V.P., at the party’s headquarters in Colombo earlier this week.
According to the J.V.P.’s account of the meeting, Mr. Wei, who presented his credentials on Aug. 25, said he received a warm welcome from Sri Lankans and hoped to further strengthen the longstanding relationship between Beijing and Colombo during his tenure.
The meeting comes as Sri Lanka and China approach two significant anniversaries in their relationship. Next year will mark 70 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and 75 years since the signing of the 1952 Rubber-Rice Pact, an agreement that became an early foundation of their post-independence ties.
Mr. Wei and Mr. Silva discussed the Sri Lankan government’s anti-corruption efforts and its “Praja Shakthi” program aimed at reducing poverty, according to the account. They also exchanged views on whether aspects of China’s experience in poverty alleviation could be applied in Sri Lanka.
The ambassador was quoted as saying that China’s engagement with other countries was based on respect for their sovereignty and the pursuit of mutual development. He also expressed an intention to encourage more Chinese investment in Sri Lanka.
Mr. Wei also spoke about his own background, saying China’s development under the Communist Party had enabled people from difficult rural circumstances, including himself, to rise to senior positions such as that of a diplomat, according to the account.
Both sides agreed on the importance of further strengthening relations between Sri Lanka and China.
The meeting was also attended by Mei Jing, a counselor in the political section of the Chinese Embassy; Xin Ligong of the embassy’s political section; Jin Enze, a third secretary at the embassy; and attorney Kalpana Madhubhashini of the J.V.P.’s international relations division.
