At the outset, I extend my warmest greetings to all the members of Sri Lanka China Business Council (SLCHBC) andcongratulations on your website’s online operation, which will establish a convenient and fast communication channel for the economic and trade cooperation between Sri Lanka and China.I highly appreciate your great contribution in promoting the friendship and cooperation between Sri Lanka and China for the long time.

The SLCHBC and its members have played an important and irreplaceable role in conducing the bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and China improved continuously in 2014, especially the export from Sri Lanka to China increased greatly. In the year of 2014, the trade volume between two countries is $4.04 billion with a Y-O-Y growth rate 11.66%. The total amount of importation and exportation between the members of SLCHBC and China takes up 80% of that of bilateral trade. The products for trade cover a wide range of industrial sectors, including textile and apparel, electronic and electric product, automobile and parts, fertilizer, rubber product, active carbon and so on. All the members of SLCHBC have contributed to this excellent performance on bilateral trade.

The Council was active in organizing its members to develop the cooperation with Chinese and Sri Lankan government departments, chambers and think tank, and to expand the business contacts. SLCHBC has provided services to lots of Chinese business delegations. Till now, SLCHBC has signed MoUs with 15 Chinese associations and chambers from the Provinces of Shandong, Liaoning, Yunnan, Guangdong and the Cities of Shenyang, Qingdao, Changsha, Liuzhou, Guangzhou, which not only lay a foundation for promoting the economic and trade cooperation but also set up a cooperation platform for companies between two countries.

Both Chinese side and Sri Lankan side are making relevant preparation for restarting the negotiation on China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. It is no doubt that the finalization of FTA could be expected to happen soon, which will create a better condition on promoting the bilateral cooperation comprehensively.

On July 13^th of 2015, the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Banana from Sri Lanka to China was signed Between the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China and the Ministry of Irrigation and Agriculture of Sri Lanka, which regulates the standards of inspection and quarantine of banana exportation from Sri Lanka to China, and remove the quarantine barriers of banana exported to China. The Protocol will start a new and historic page of the exportation of fruit from Sri Lanka to China. We hope that the exportation of banana and other agricultural products from Sri Lanka to China could become the highlight and new growth point of bilateral trade.

The Embassy of China in Sri Lanka will support the Council as fully as ever, and has always been encouraging all kinds of cooperation among companies in two countries. In the future, both sides should make joint efforts on the transformation and upgrade of the cooperation, exploring ways to transform the cooperation from trade and project construction to direct investment.

At last, May the website of Sri Lanka China Business Council a greater success in the future, become a gateway to promote business between Sri Lanka and China. I hope and fully believe that Sri Lanka China Business Council will make greater contributions on the friendship and cooperation between two countries and two peoples.

Yi Xianliang
Ambassador
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China