Ties between Chinese and Sri Lankan communists have taken a significant step forward with a visit to Beijing by a delegation led by Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP – People’s Liberation Front) of Sri Lanka. The JVP is Sri Lanka’s largest Marxist Party and the country’s ruling party since the presidential and parliamentary elections respectively held in September and November 2024.
On June 18, the delegation of senior JVP cadres led by Silva met with Shi Taifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee’s Organisation Department.
Shi said China is willing to deepen the exchange of experience in party and state governance and build a community with a shared future. Silva said Sri Lanka stands ready to implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, deepen the inter-party relations and further enhance friendship.
The previous day, the delegation met with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC).
Liu and Silva also presided over a political dialogue between the two Parties.
Liu said that China and Sri Lanka have a long-standing friendship, and the Rubber-Rice Pact stands as a true testament to the genuine amity between the two countries. [The Rubber-Rice Pact was concluded between the two countries on December 18, 1952, five years before their establishment of diplomatic relations. It provided much needed economic and food security support to Sri Lanka – then known as Ceylon – while breaking the US-led embargo on rubber exports to China. It was the People’s Republic’s first trade agreement with a non-socialist country.] Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 68 years ago, the two sides have always supported each other, pursued solidarity and cooperation, and are committed to building a stronger China-Sri Lanka relationship. In January this year, President Xi Jinping held talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake [who is also the leader of the JVP] who was visiting China, drawing a grand blueprint for the development of China-Sri Lanka relations. In the face of an international situation marked by changes and chaos, regional countries should seek strength through unity and jointly respond to risks and challenges. China and Sri Lanka should strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, jointly defend international fairness and justice and the global economic and trade order and safeguard the common and long-term interests of both sides.
Liu added that, sharing similar beliefs and ideas, the CPC is willing to work with the JVP to advance exchanges at all levels, engage in institutionalised political dialogues, deepen concept exchanges, and engage in mutual learning in governance experience to strengthen the governing capacity of both Parties. China is willing to work with Sri Lanka through the “political party +” platform to expand practical cooperation in various fields, implement more livelihood projects, and ensure that the dividends of the growing relations between the two Parties and the two countries better benefit the two peoples.
Silva said that Sri Lanka thanks China for always lending timely and valuable support in times of difficulty. Sri Lanka admires China’s major achievements in modernisation. It stands ready to give full play to its geographical advantages in the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as well as strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as infrastructure, finance and poverty reduction, to boost Sri Lanka’s economic and social development and the development of the region. The JVP is willing to continue to deepen and consolidate the traditional friendship with the CPC and play an active role in boosting China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership.
The following articles were originally published by the Xinhua News Agency and on the IDCPC website.
Senior Chinese official meets Sri Lankan JVP delegation
BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) — Shi Taifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee’s Organization Department, met with a delegation of senior cadres from Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) of Sri Lanka, led by its General Secretary Tilvin Silva, in Beijing on Wednesday.
Shi said China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to, under the strategic guidance of the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, promote mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen the exchange of experience in party and state governance, and build a community with a shared future.
Silva said Sri Lanka stands ready to implement the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, deepen the inter-party relations and further enhance friendship.
Liu Jianchao Meets with a Delegation of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna of Sri Lanka
Beijing, June 17th (IDCPC) —Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), met here today with a delegation led by Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) of Sri Lanka. Liu and Silva also presided over a political dialogue between the two Parties.
Liu said that China and Sri Lanka has a long-standing friendship, and the Rubber-Rice Pact stands as a true testament to the genuine amity between the two countries. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 68 years ago, the two sides have always supported each other, pursued solidarity and cooperation, and are committed to building a stronger China-Sri Lanka relationship. In January this year, President Xi Jinping held talks with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake who was visiting China, drawing a grand blueprint for the development of China-Sri Lanka relations. China-Sri Lanka relations are of vital importance to regional stability and development. China consistently prioritizes Sri Lanka in its neighborhood diplomacy and stands ready to work with Sri Lanka to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, continuously consolidate strategic mutual trust, enhance mutual learning in governance, deepen development integration, jointly build a China-Sri Lanka community with a shared future, and promote the building of a community with a shared future with neighboring countries. In the face of an international situation marked by changes and chaos, regional countries should seek strength through unity, and jointly respond to risks and challenges. China and Sri Lanka should strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, jointly defend international fairness and justice and the global economic and trade order, and safeguard the common and long-term interests of both sides.
Liu expressed that friendly exchanges between political parties have long boosted China-Sri Lanka relations. Sharing similar beliefs and ideas, the CPC is willing to work with the JVP to advance exchanges at all levels, engage in institutionalized political dialogues, deepen concept exchanges, and engage in mutual learning in governance experience to strengthen the governing capacity of both Parties. China is willing to work with Sri Lanka through the “political party +” platform to expand practical cooperation in various fields, implement more livelihood projects, and ensure that the dividends of the growing relations between the two Parties and the two countries better benefit the two peoples.
Silva said, Sri Lanka attaches great importance to its relations with China and firmly adheres to the one-China principle. Sri Lanka thanks China for always lending timely and valuable support to Sri Lanka in times of difficulty. Sri Lanka admires China’s major achievements in modernization. It stands ready to give full play to its geographical advantages in the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as well as strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as infrastructure, finance, poverty reduction to boost Sri Lanka’s economic and social development and the development of the region. Sri Lanka appreciates China’s constructive role in regional and international affairs and is ready to strengthen communication with China on regional affairs to promote regional peace and stability. The JVP is willing to continue to deepen and consolidate the traditional friendship with the CPC and play an active role in boosting China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership.
Sun Haiyan, Vice-minister of the IDCPC, Eranga Gunasekara, National Organizer of the Socialist Youth Union of the JVP and Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, and Muneer Mulaffer, Deputy Minister of Justice and National Integration, participated in the political dialogue.
