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| Monday, 11 August 2003 |
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by Rashomi Silva reporting from Beijing, China Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will today sign five important Free Trade Agreements with the Government of the Peoples' Republic of China aimed at further strengthening the existing close economic ties between the two nations, the Sri Lankan diplomatic mission in Beijing announced. Premier Wickremesinghe accompanied by a high level delegation of Ministers and senior state officials arrived in Beijing at 5.20 p.m. local time on Saturday. The city of Beijing where the Premier is expected to spend his four day official tour has several famous landmarks, foremost being the Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the world famous 'Lama Temple' which houses the tallest sandalwood Buddha statue in the world. The Premier will also visit the Great Hall of the People,China's equivalent to the Sri Lankan Parliament and arrangements are being made to sign the Five Trade Agreements there. The bilateral talks between the governments are also scheduled to take place in the Great Hall, according to the Embassy sources. The discussions are specifically designed to stimulate joint venture opportunities between the two countries, the Daily News learns. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe will meet a delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs today in the morning prior to his visit to the Great Hall. A tourism seminar organised by the Sri Lankan Tourist Board will also be opened today at the 'Kerry Centre' in Beijing to showcase Sri Lanka as a tourist destination. A senior Tourist Board official told the Daily News last week that the event was organised to tap the potential Chinese outbound market. He said that the Tourist Board believes the Chinese governments declaration of Sri Lanka as a travel destination with the successful progression of the peace process will prove to be of immense assistance in this endeavour. China has reported an economic growth rate of eight percent GDP during the previous year and 8.3 percent during this year despite the SAARS outbreak that affected the country's economy. Meanwhile, recent economic reports indicated that China and India will be the main economic drivers of the region in the years to come. This is Premier Wickremesinghe's first visit as a Head of Government to China. His earlier visit was as the Leader of Opposition at the invitation of the International Department of Chinese Communist Party in 1998. |
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