Speech by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Virtual Conference Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China;

General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China His Excellency Xi Jinping,

Distinguished Leaders,

Ayubowan!

I wish to express my warmest felicitations together with the people of my country on the occasion of the 100-year anniversary of the Communist Party of China.

The honor of this historical relationship China has had with us is also included in this felicitation. China has been a historical friend. And, based on our long-standing cooperation, we must  acknowledge that China is one of our most sincere friends. To celebrate both the 100-year anniversary of the Communist Party of China as well as the long-standing diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka, we have taken steps to issue a commemorative coin.

President Xi Jinping,

It has now been 72 years since the CPC converted China into a Red China.

Sri Lanka established Diplomatic Relations with the Chinese Government back in 1957.

However, the leftist parties of our country have had relations with the CPC even before that. The Communist Party of Sri Lanka, in particular, has had relations with the Communist Party of  China since the 1940s. I am pleased to say that we have been able to maintain good relations with the CPC because Sri Lankans also value equality and brotherhood.

The Communist Party of China is currently the world’s largest political party, which has delivered a very important message to the world on foreign relations for the past 70 years.

Your Excellency,

I am aware that it was the foreign policy positions of the CPC that elevated China on the global stage. However, China has never tried to impose its own political views on the world.

China has also never felt the need to manipulate the affairs of other countries. China has helped the other countries, keeping them at the same level, which is a very important matter for a  country’s independence as well as its sovereignty. Therefore, countries never hesitated to deal with China, because they were allowed to maintain their independence. It is the same for Sri  Lanka. That is why most doors of the world were opened to China. This policy is very important for the progress of China, internationally. It has now become clear that China will lead the rise of  Asia in the century ahead.

Dividing of the world into two camps is not important anymore. China did a historic service to relieve Asian and African countries from the hardships faced due to this division. It was China that helped the world, which was facing difficulties due to the division of the world into two camps. At that time, Zhou Enlai brought the idea of non-aligned nations to the world, for world relief. That non-aligned policy is still a relief to the world today.

The Belt and Road Initiative is the present policy of China, which is not something alien to us. During ancient times, Sri Lanka was located at a point on the Silk Road connected with China. Like the Buddhist monk Fa-Hien Thero, many merchants and business people had dealings with our country while they were traveling to and from China.

China is traveling along this Silk Road today with many lessors for the world. The open economy has spread throughout the world, changing the very structure of many countries.

However, China accepted the world reality of the open economy in a way that was suitable to China. Therefore, China did not accept the open economy as something that divides the country into classes and weakens the country. Instead, China has successfully eradicated poverty of 900 million people under its open economic policy and set a great example to the world by the way it adopted the open economy. I am confident that, China will bring back the economic strength that Asia had five hundred years ago through this Silk Road.

Your Excellency,

China always believed that improving infrastructure will provide new ways and new strengths for the people. Therefore, we have constantly invited China to help develop the infrastructure of our country. China has also pledged to become a carbon neutral country by 2060. Therefore, countries on the Silk Road, which make use of the investments from China, will also have to work with a similar objective, not only to make countries carbon neutral but also for countries around the Indian Ocean to be free of pollution.

I must also express my gratitude to China for the development and generous donations of the Sinopharm vaccine. The CPC set an example to the world by producing the vaccine and sharing it with the world. The motto of the World Health Organization in the face of this epidemic was that everyone should be vaccinated, whether rich or poor. In this context, it is further admirable that China has given approval for the production of the Sinopharm vaccine in countries like ours. During a global pandemic such as this, decisions initiated by the CPC will be respected as those taken for the benefit of humanity.

Your Excellency,

Both your country and mine are Buddhist. We Buddhists will always pray for the world in the face of a very critical pandemic menacing the world.

May all creatures be healed!

May they be devoid of suffering!

May they stay health!