Cementing a longstanding friendship
By any standard, the just-concluded official visit to China by
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has been an outstanding success.
The achievements from the visit for Sri Lanka have been both varied
and memorable and we wish Sino-Lanka relations many more decades of
success and substantial achievement.
Coming in the 50th year of Sino-Lanka ties, President Rajapaksa’s
visit to China could be said to have further cemented this remarkable
friendship which has benefited both countries.
As President Rajapaksa has himself observed, one of the most
memorable benefits accruing to Sri Lanka from the visit is China’s
restatement of its support for Sri Lanka’s territorial integrity, unity
and wholeness.
Besides, we have Chinese President Hu Jintao’s assurance that China
“would not allow any entity to extend their support to the terror acts
of the LTTE, using Chinese soil.”
This is, indeed, the crowning achievement of President Rajapaksa’s
visit to China and we have in these pronouncements the basis for a
cordial relationship which would stand the test of time.
It is also a staggering blow to the LTTE and its supporters who have
been all out to impress the world outside with their disinformation and
half-baked rhetoric.
True to tradition and the highest standards of inter-state
cordiality, China has said “no” to separatism and this would go a long
way towards defeating the Tigers’ ill-founded propaganda against Sri
Lanka. China is, therefore, proving a friend indeed.
Much has already been said on the assistance China is generously
extending to us in the area of vital infrastructure development, such as
the Norochcholai coal power plant and the Hambantota harbour development
project and it goes without saying that such help would prove crucial in
our development drive.
For, even if our productivity drive proves to be dynamic, nothing or
very little would come out of it if the relevant infrastructure, such as
airports, harbours and highways, are not in place.
Therefore, we are receiving timely assistance from China in the area
of infrastructure development and this would prove a boon in the
transport, marketing and export of goods.
The country could also be particularly glad that business links
between China and Sri Lanka are in the process of being stabilised and
expanded.
Already, two local car companies have entered into business links
with some of their Chinese counterparts and we hope more such links
would be established, for, they all add to China’s and Sri Lanka’s
growth.
It must be remembered that China is the world’s fastest growing
economy; an economic powerhouse of Asia.
It is most advisable for developing countries, such as our’s, to
strengthen our economic links with China. Such ties are certain to
benefit us substantially.
We also note with satisfaction that Lanka is poised to expand its
educational and cultural links with China. Given China’s scientific and
technological genius, there is no doubt that Lankan students would
benefit significantly through their exposure to China’s seats of higher
learning. |
One country, one goal: Peace
TWENTY-four years. Twenty-four years of pain,
frustration, division, and needless death. That’s been the fate of
our beautiful island, but it doesn’t have to be. And it need not be,
if our country’s politicians can put their country first, before
their party’s agenda or their personal agendas.
 Full Story
Condominiums: Solution for tsunami housing management
Many housing projects have already been
completed to house Tsunami affected families with the funding of
local and foreign organizations. Now it is important to set up a
management system for these schemes to prevent a repeat of problems
arisen in many government sponsored housing schemes. It is not
practical for the Government or the donor organizations to manage
these schemes on a long-term basis.
Full Story
Trust the people to choose the model of Governance
THERE are three overriding inter-related issues
on the National Question confronting the Government and, indeed, the
country viz. continuing peace negotiations with the LTTE, the
pursuit of robust military action to weaken, if not overwhelm, the
LTTE and an agreed constitutional settlement to bind and bond the
different language groups and communities in a united Sri Lanka.
Full Story |
