Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met in Colombo Saturday with Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party of Sri Lanka.
Wen said China and Sri Lanka established an all-round cooperative partnership featuring sincere mutual support and everlasting friendship during his visit. This will push forward the cooperation between the two countries in the political, economic, cultural and other fields, he said.
Wen said China attaches importance to the relationship with the major parties of Sri Lanka, and will promote mutual understandings to further the all-round relations between the two countries.
Wickremesinghe visited China in 2003 as president of Sri Lanka. He congratulated on the successful visit by Wen, and thanked for China's assistance since the tsunami of the Indian Ocean happened.
He said the governments of South Asian nations appreciate China's foreign policy in the region featuring peace and cooperation.
Wen also unveiled the statue of the late Chinese premier Zhou Enlai Saturday afternoon.
Sri Lanka was the third leg of Wen's four-nation South Asian tour which had taken him to Pakistan and Bangladesh.
(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2005)
