Source: CCTV.com
02-28-2007 09:40
President held ceremony for Sri Lankan President
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Chinese President Hu Jintao has held a welcoming ceremony for the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
During the meeting later on, the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral ties. President Hu Jintao thanked the Sri Lankan government for its stance on the one-China policy. Hu also said that China will continue its assistance to Sri Lanka's economic developments. Recent years have seen continuous development of trade between the two countries. 2007 is the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
This year has been designated the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Year.
Sri Lanka presents Buddha to China
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Visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has also presented China with a Buddha statue -- this after giving his host country a five-year-old male elephant.
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse presented a replica of a Buddhist statue to the Chinese Buddhist community on Tuesday. 2007 is an important year for both nations as they celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties between China and Sri Lanka.
The China Buddhist Association held an enshrining ceremony for the Sri Lankan Buddha statue at Beijing's Ling Guang Temple.
President Rajapakse hailed the event a boost to relations between the two countries.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said, "Sri Lanka has long regarded China as a splendid civilization. Ling Guang temple is a symbol of peace, friendship and respect. The two nations will surely strengthen bilateral ties in the future."
Senior monks from both countries attended the ceremony, chanting prayers. Yi Cheng, President of the China Buddhist Association praised the interaction between the nations' Buddhist communities.
Yi Cheng said, "China and Sri Lanka have had Buddhist exchanges since ancient times. The Buddhist communities of the two nations have contributed greatly to developing bilateral friendship."
2007 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan President Rajapakse arrived in Beijing on Monday, kicking off a seven-day state visit to China.
Editor:Liu Fang
