Colombo, Dec 29 (Agency) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is slated to visit Sri Lanka in early January 2022, amid the backdrop of the Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong making frequent visits, criss-crossing the island nation. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing confirmed on Wednesday that Wang Yi would be travelling to Colombo, newsfirst.lk reported. The visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister will be a “courtesy call” to inquire into a range of private sector investments across the island where Chinese interests are concerned. The Sri Lankan Embassy in China has been involved in numerous discussions with a wide range of Chinese companies to bring in investments to Sri Lanka, and already some of the firms have shown keen interest in investing in the island nation. Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong is continuing his visits throughout the island. On Wednesday, on a visit to the south of Sri Lanka, Qi met with local government representatives in the Southern Province.
In another development, Ambassador Qi presented the Police with 10 new motorcycles on Wednesday at the police headquarters. The motorcycles were handed over to the IGP C.D. Wickramaratne and the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, Maj. Gen. Jagath Alwis. The motorcycles, valued at Rs. 4 million, will be distributed among ten divisions of Police. During his visit, the Ambassador met with the Southern Province Governor Dr. Willy Gamage and handed over a set of smart video conference systems donated by the Hainan Provincial Govt of China to its sister province in Sri Lanka for e-office capacity building. Ambassador Qi also visited the Galle Municipal Council on Tuesday and discussed with Mayor Priyantha Sahabandu and Deputy Mayor Fows Niyaz on Sri Lankan-Chinese local Government exchanges. They also explored the prospect of establishing sister-cities relations between Galle and Xiamen. He also visited Kendagasmankada, a hope village project by the Hambantota Port, to inspire positive changes in the Southern Province and talked to senior and female representatives. Last week, he had embarked on a two-day visit to Jaffna and Mannar in Northern Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan security forces from the army and police stepped up their presence across the northern region, as the ambassador travelled to the Tamil homeland. He travelled through Vavuniya to Point Pedro, the island’s northernmost point, just miles away from the Indian shoreline. His “familiarisation trip” came days after the Sri Lankan government stated that a Chinese project to develop three hybrid power plants in Delft Island, Analativu and Nainativu, worth an estimated USD$12 million, has been cancelled and reportedly given to India instead. “We originally intended to carry out this project under a loan from an international financial institution, and a Chinese firm was selected through the standard bidding process,” said Sri Lankan State Minister Duminda Dissanayake earlier. “But the Indian Government has offered a 75% grant for this purpose, and, therefore, we have cancelled the contract for the time being.” China has instead moved the project over to the Maldives.