China affirms support for unitary Lanka

By Anura BALASURIYA - Reporting from Guan Xo, China

Chinese President Hu Jintao said that China wants Sri Lanka to remain a unitary nation and will act strongly against the separatist LTTE. The Chinese President Jintao had pledged his country's unstinted and continuous assistance to Lanka's development and its fight against terrorism during his meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is currently in China for a six day state visit.

President Jintao promised President Rajapakse his government's full backing to take Sri Lankan Government stand in curbing terrorism before the international community.

Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Dr P.B. Jayasundara told The Island that the President's visit had built a strong and solid foundation for the Government's economic plans to bring about an eight percent growth rate.

He believed that Sri Lanka could achieve the target within a period of single year with the Chinese assistance in infrastructure development, boosting foreign directed investment, obtaining a market for Lankan exports both traditional and non-traditional and development in tourism.

The state visit of President Rajapakse had resulted in two countries entering into two bilateral agreements and put their signatures for six memorandums of understanding.

The Chinese Government's assistance to complete the second and third stages of building the Norochcholai power plant which would add 900 mega watts to the national power grid, and the pledge to assist the completion of First Stage of Hambantota Harbour were the most important dividends of the President's visit, Dr Jayasundara said.

Transport Minister Dallas Alahapperuma told The Island that the Chinese Government had agreed to provide locomotives and coaches for a lower price to upgrade the Sri Lankan railway sector. Accordingly 100 coaches and 15 locomotive engines would be purchased from China, he said.