China, which has a veto in the UN Security Council (UNSC) as a permanent member, has pledged to protect Sri Lanka in case the Western powers bring a resolution in the council seeking action against the country.
“We will continue to support Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations Security Council. Sri Lanka will always find a friend in China. China is Sri Lanka’s all-weather friend,” said Liu Zhenmin, China’s Vice Foreign Minister, when he met Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa here on Thursday.
China had fought hard for Lanka at the March 2014 session of the UNHRC and voted against the US-sponsored resolution calling for an international investigation in Lanka into charges of human rights violations and war crimes.
However, despite staunch opposition from China and Pakistan and disapproval by India, which abstained, the resolution was carried.
Liu described Lanka as “a good friend, a good neighbor and a good partner,” and said that the island nation is an “important partner” in the Indian Ocean region.
He thanked Lanka for assisting in the development of the ambitious Chinese project named “21st Century Maritime Silk Route” and suggested that the two countries deepen sea and air connectivity.
Referring to Rajapaksa’s personal role in promoting Sino-Lankan ties, Liu said, “You have established a close friendship with the Chinese leadership. Your personal relationship will play a guiding role in China-Sri Lanka relations.”
Call for Investment
Thanking China for its support to Lanka, Rajapaksa said, “We suffered for 30 years from terrorist violence. With your help, we managed to defeat terrorism.”
Noting that many of Lanka’s landmark infrastructure projects had been carried out with Chinese assistance, Rajapaksa invited Chinese companies to invest in Lankan industries.
The Lankan President had visited China in May 2013, when the two countries elevated their relationship to one of “strategic cooperation”, a significant milestone in bilateral relations, The New Indian Express reported.
