New Chinese Ambassador meets Maha Nayake Theras

Appreciates Sri Lankan stand on Tibet:

Asela Kuruluwansa and Indika Polkotuwa

The Chinese Government appreciates the stand taken by Sri Lankan Government , the Maha Sangha and the public on the question of Tibet, said the new Chinese Ambassador Madam Xiuping Yang when she met the Malwatta and Asgiriya Maha Nayake Theras last Friday.

She said arrangements should be made for exchange of delegations of young Buddhist monks which would go a long way in consolidating further the friendly relations between the two countries. She also told the Maha Nayake Theras that the Chinese Revolution which triumphed 60 years ago has paved the way for the development of a democratic structure in Tibet for the last 50 years.

She expressed her happiness at being able to visit Kandy when the exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic and said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had a chance to worship the Sacred Tooth Relic kept in the LEE Gua temple in Beijing during his visit to China in 2007.

Asgiriya Maha Nayaka Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Thera said he saw the vast development carried out by the Chinese Government in Tibet when he visited China in 1999. He also said that Sri Lanka China relations date back to the time of Fa Hsien and that the Chinese are industrious people who love Buddhism.

Sri Lankans always consider the Chinese as their brothers and the BMICH and many other projects testify to the contribution made by China to our development, he added.

The Chinese Ambassador also paid homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic.

Peradeniya University former Vice-Chancellor Prof. J.M. Gunadasa, Prof. P. D. Premasiri China Buddhist Associations Sri Lanka Coordinating Secretary Sumathi Dharmawardena, AAL also participated at the event.