China Harbour denies funding MR or any political campaign

The China Harbor Engineering Co Ltd (CHEC) on Thursday rejected reports that it had offered financial assistance to any politician during Sri Lanka’s January presidential elections.

In a statement, the CHEC has said the allegation made by local media was misleading and has bought disrepute to an international level company, Xinhua news service reported.

Recent media reports said the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of police is investigating a case where the CHEC has allegedly handed over Rs. 149 million to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 2015 election campaign. “The CHEC calls on all the relevant Sri Lankan officials and parties not to misunderstand their responsible and cooperative partner, and not to send a wrong signal to the investors from China and all other countries,” the CHEC said.

“We also urge them not to hurt the hearts of a company which has worked so hard for Sri Lanka’s development and prosperity for the past

17 years,” it said.

While asserting that the allegations against the CHEC were baseless and unfair, the company said that as a large international infrastructure company which operates in more than 80 countries , the CHEC went in accordance with the laws and regulations of these countries and it is CHEC’s firm policy not to get involved in politics and the elections of any country.

“As one Sri Lanka’s largest infrastructure construction partners, CHEC is proud to have completed many projects in the country including the fishery harbours, over 500 KM of smooth roads,  Ramboda Pass tunnel, the Colombo South Container terminal, the Hambantota phase I and II, part of the Southern Expressway and the Colombo Outer Circular Expressway Phase I “. the CHEC said.

During the past 17 years in the island nation, the CHEC has created more than 30,000 job opportunities for Sri Lanka’s youth and have trained most of them to be professional workers.

The company source further said that as a leading infrastructure construction  company in the world, the CHEC has entered the Sri Lankan market for 17 years and has successfully completed various infrastructure projects benefitting the country’s long term development and the people’s well being.

The CHEC called on all the relevant Sri Lankan officials and parties not to misunderstand their responsible and cooperative partner, and not to send a wrong signal to the investors from China and all other countries.

“We also urge them not to hurt the hearts of a company which has worked so hard for Sri Lanka’s development and prosperity for the past 17 years,” the Company said.

China Harbour Engineering Company has constructed the Hambantota Port and the Mattala International Airport during the former President’s regime.

The company said as a large international infrastructure company which operates in more than 80 countries, the CHEC went in accordance with the laws and regulations of these countries and it is CHEC’s firm policy not to get involved in politics and the elections of any country.

The Sri Lankan government in March suspended the construction of the Colombo port city by the CHEC under an MOU signed by Sri Lanka Ports Authority with its parent China Communications Construction Company Ltd to build an offshore city on 583 acres of land reclaimed from the sea.