President Ranil Wickremesinghe was the first speaker after President Xi Jinping to address, virtually, the well-attended and highly prestigious 5th China International Import Expo CIIE and the Hongqiao Economic Forum Opening Ceremony. In addition to the President of Sri Lanka, the opening ceremony was addressed by the Heads of State or Government of Mauritania, Mozambique, Belarus, Guyana, Solomon Islands, and the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and the Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
Vice Premier Hu Chunghua moderated the opening session., the new Standing Committee member Li Qiang, who is tipped to succeed Li Keqiang as Premier, wrapped up the session. They were both physically present at the opening ceremony.
President Xi underlined the continued high-level opening up of China and its firm commitment to multilateralism. He emphasized his vision of a shared future, and common prosperity for humanity. High quality development will continue to be pursued by China in a dual circulation economy.
Speakers noted the growth of exports to China. China will import ten trillion dollars worth of goods in the next few years creating vast opportunities for all countries. China, even today, is the largest exporter of goods in the world. It is the second largest importer of goods and services.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasised the importance of China as a destination for Sri Lankan exports, the most important source of imports, and a significant source of FDI and tourists.
Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona represented Sri Lanka at the ceremony.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Beijing
08 November, 2022
