Skyline
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2011
- Messages
- 3,640
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
- Location
Colombo, Feb 12 (Prensa Latina) Sri Lanka and China agreed to upgrade their relations to the level of strategic association, local media reported on Wednesday when reviewing Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris'' visit to Beijing. Peiris and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, agreed to upgrade bilateral relations by boosting cooperation in the fields of politics, defense and security, economic relations and cultural affairs.
Wang said that he hoped that exchanges in those fields and others will make mutual cooperation more dynamic in line with the two countries' national development strategies, making relations of friendship and trust between the two peoples and governments more solid.
In that context and without naming countries, Wang criticized the plans by the United States and several of its western allies to promote a motion condemning Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).
China opposes the interference by some States in Sri Lanka's internal affairs under the human rights pretext, he said.
Washington plans to present a motion in Geneva next month to submit Sri Lanka to an international investigation due to alleged excesses by the army in the final stage of the war against the separatist movement Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which ended in May 2009.
After noting the unworkability of external investigations or any other interference in Sri Lanka, Wang pointed out that "China believes in the Sri Lankan people's wisdom and capacity to handle their own affairs" and repeated China's will to offer "strong support" for the defense of their independence.
One of the main objectives of Peiris' visit to China is to explain the achievements in the reconciliation process in his country.
Prensa Latina News Agency - Sri Lanka, China to Upgrade Relations to Strategic Association
Wang said that he hoped that exchanges in those fields and others will make mutual cooperation more dynamic in line with the two countries' national development strategies, making relations of friendship and trust between the two peoples and governments more solid.
In that context and without naming countries, Wang criticized the plans by the United States and several of its western allies to promote a motion condemning Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).
China opposes the interference by some States in Sri Lanka's internal affairs under the human rights pretext, he said.
Washington plans to present a motion in Geneva next month to submit Sri Lanka to an international investigation due to alleged excesses by the army in the final stage of the war against the separatist movement Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which ended in May 2009.
After noting the unworkability of external investigations or any other interference in Sri Lanka, Wang pointed out that "China believes in the Sri Lankan people's wisdom and capacity to handle their own affairs" and repeated China's will to offer "strong support" for the defense of their independence.
One of the main objectives of Peiris' visit to China is to explain the achievements in the reconciliation process in his country.
Prensa Latina News Agency - Sri Lanka, China to Upgrade Relations to Strategic Association
