COLOMBO, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday made a stopover in Sri Lanka on his way back from a trip to Africa and held a friendly meeting with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China has extended a helping hand to Sri Lanka at the earliest opportunity to cope with the devastating cyclone, and believes the Sri Lankan people will overcome the disaster and rebuild their homes at an early date.
Wang said China is willing to enhance exchanges of governance experience with Sri Lanka, expand practical cooperation in various fields, facilitate people-to-people exchanges, further deepen the strategic cooperative partnership based on sincere mutual assistance and everlasting friendship between the two countries, and jointly build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future.
Wang said that in the face of an increasingly complex and volatile international situation, China will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, especially small and medium-sized countries, uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law, and work with like-minded countries to oppose the resurgence of the "law of the jungle," resist all forms of power politics and bullying, and defend multilateralism and international fairness and justice.
Wang noted that China appreciates Sri Lanka's long-standing adherence to the one-China principle and is willing to continue supporting Sri Lanka in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions. He added that the two sides can strengthen regional cooperation oriented toward South Asia and jointly promote a more just and equitable global governance system.
Herath thanked China for its valuable assistance following the cyclone disaster. He said Sri Lanka regards China as one of its most reliable strategic partners, and is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, deepen cooperation in infrastructure, maritime affairs, tourism, and cultural exchanges, and continuously enhance the Sri Lanka-China strategic cooperative partnership.
He reaffirmed Sri Lanka's adherence to the one-China principle, expressed firm support for China's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and said Sri Lanka is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in multilateral affairs to jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries. ■
