New China Ambassador arrives; commits to further strengthen bilateral ties

Monday, 22 January 2018 01:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Cheng Xueyuan, the new Ambassador-designate of China to Sri Lanka, arrived in Colombo on UL869 yesterday.

Ambassador Cheng and his family were received at the Bandaranaike International Airport by representatives from the Protocol Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka-China friendship associations, overseas Chinese enterprises and communities as well as the embassy officials.

On arrival, Cheng made brief remarks to all those present at the airport.

“I’m very grateful to you for giving me this warm, sincere and heartfelt welcome at the Bandaranaike International Airport on a very early morning. I feel very much at home the moment I set foot on this beautiful island of Sri Lanka,” he said.

“Ever since middle school age, I learned from geography and history textbooks about this picturesque country of Ceylon, located to the southeast of the Indian Subcontinent and at the centre of the vast Indian Ocean. With pure beaches, abundant flora and fauna, ancient cities and castles and great Buddhist traditions, its people are hardworking, brave, talented and kind, not to mention they are enthusiastic, generous and gifted in many ways. In Sri Lanka, flowers and smiles reflect each other and could be seen everywhere. There are not only splendid gemstones, fragrant Ceylon tea, vast blue waters, but also mountains, rivers, elephants and monkeys, to name just a few. I fell in love with this beautiful country from the bottom of my heart. And I am looking forward to experiencing its rich history, culture and customs, and cheering every change and achievement its people have made.

“The friendship between China and Sri Lanka dates back a couple of millennia. We strongly believe this history-tested friendship between our two peoples is the solid foundation of excellent relations between our two countries. Zheng He and his fleet’s voyages started six centuries ago, while the Rice-Rubber Pact in middle of 20th century represented the deep affection between our two peoples. No countries are far apart if they have friendship. We are fully confident that our great friendship has been becoming closer and closer as time goes on,” he said.

“As the 21st Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, I sincerely wish to make great friends with people of all circles on this island, and look forward to promoting the China-Sri Lanka strategic partnership as well as joining in building the Belt and Road Initiative and implementing the cooperative agreements. Under the great guidance of the leaders of our two countries, we are ready to jointly build a China-Sri Lanka community of shared destiny and improve the wellbeing of the two peoples. On the basis of win-win cooperation, we will also work together to promote the peace, stability and prosperity of this region. Thank you very much! Bohoma Istuti!”