China and Sri Lanka issued a joint communique in
Beijing Friday at the end of Sri Lankan President Chandrika
Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's visit to China.
At the invitation
of Chinese President Hu Jintao, President Kumaratunga paid a state
visit to China from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2. During the visit, official
talks were held between the two Presidents.
The communique
reviewed the talks between the two heads of state, saying that
discussion on all issues were free and cordial.
According to
the communique, Hu expressed deep condolences on the brutal
assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar, foreign minister of Sri Lanka.
The two sides expressed their strong condemnation of the
terrorist act, resolved to relentlessly fight against the three
evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism and to consult and
coordinate on regional and international action being taken to
prevent such terrorist acts.
Kumaratunga briefed Hu on the situation in Sri Lanka subsequent
to the assassination. She described the efforts being made to ensure
stability in the country and efforts to achieve a durable peace
essential for the welfare,safety and freedom of all communities in
Sri Lanka, despite difficulties posed by the terrorist activities.
Hu expressed its appreciation for and confidence that these efforts
would be successful and reiterated its full support for the unity,
territorial integrity of Sri Lanka and national reconciliation, the
communique says.
The communique says the Sri Lankan side
reiterated its position that there is but one China in the world,
that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole
legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is
an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.
It says Sri Lanka remains committed to its one China policy,
opposes any form of Taiwan independence, supports all efforts by the
Chinese Government to safeguard sovereignty and territorial
integrity, supports China's measures against the secessionist
attempts by pro-Taiwan independence forces, and hopes to see an
early reunification of China.
The two sides expressed satisfaction at the steady
development of political, economic and other activities in the
China-Sri Lanka all-round cooperation partnership of sincere mutual
support and ever-lasting friendship, according to the communique.
The Sri Lankan President expressed the grateful thanks of her people
for the generous assistance offered in the aftermath of the tsunami
including the reconstruction of fisheries harbors and the China-Sri
Lanka Friendship Village on which work had commenced. The Chinese
side offered to provide facilities for training of personnel in
natural disaster prevention and mitigation.
The communique
says the Sri Lankan side expressed thanks for the Preferential
Buyers' Credit offered by China for implementing projects of
development priority that had been agreed upon by both sides and
identified by Sri Lanka to be implemented in cooperation with
Chinese companies.
It says the Sri Lanka proposed its
projects for priority development, which included the Hambantota
Bunkering System and Tank Farm Project; the Puttalam Coal Power
Project; the Express Rail Link Between Katunayake and Ratmalana and
construction of the Colombo-Katunayake Airport Expressway. The Sri
Lankan side requested Chinese financing for the above-mentioned
projects. The Chinese side stated that it would encourage and
support its financial institutions to effectively examine the
request.
The communique says the two countries stressed the
need for conditions of peace and stability and closer cooperation
among Asian states to enable the development of the region.
It says Sri Lanka welcomed the efforts made by China for the
six-party talks aimed at the denuclearization of the Korea
Peninsula.
The communique says the two sides welcomed
strengthening of ties between China and South Asian States following
exchange of high level political and other visits and discussed the
possibilities of setting up institutional links between the South
Asian Association Regional Cooperation and China.
On the
forthcoming 60th Session of the United Nations, in which both
Kumaratunga and Hu are scheduled to participate, the communique says
the two sides agreed that the UN reform should be effected on the
basis of the widest possible consensus of the entire international
community including the developing countries.
They agreed to
continue consultations on all issues of mutual concerns in
international arena including on practical action towards
realization of the Millennium Development Goals, human rights and
anti-terrorism, the communique says.
It says that the two
sides also reiterated their view that the next Secretary General of
the United Nations should be a representative of the Asian Region.
According to the communique, the two countries signed eight
cooperative documents during Kumaratunga's visit covering cultural,
economic, financial, tourist fields.
The communique says
Kumaratunga invited Hu to visit Sri Lanka. Hu accepted the
invitation with thanks and expressed his willingness to pay a state
visit to Sri Lanka at a time of mutual convenience.
Source:
Xinhua
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