Sri Lankan president looks forward to further strengthening economic, trade ties with China

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasized the importance of enhancing economic and trade relations with China and highlighted the deep-rooted partnership between the two countries in an interview with the China Central Television (CCTV) aired on Friday.

China and Sri Lanka have enjoyed a long and rich history of economic and trade ties. Even before the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1957, the two countries signed the Rubber-Rice Pact in 1952, when China needed to import rubber and other supplies and Sri Lanka, which sees rubber as a key export, was facing rising price of rice and slump of rubber price.

Decades later, when asked about his expectations for the future development of economic and trade ties with China, the Sri Lankan president said China has been the most trustworthy economic partner. He also outlined the plans to further strengthen the bond between the two countries.

"At present, China is Sri Lanka's most trusted economic partner. We are committed to further consolidating and strengthening this partnership. We hope to deepen trade ties between Sri Lanka and China, particularly by expanding Sri Lankan exports to China and further diversifying the range of products we offer. I discussed this topic with President Xi Jinping as well. I believe that Sri Lanka and China can build an even stronger, mutually beneficial economic relationship and continue advancing it in the years to come," said Dissanayake.

Speaking of specific products Sri Lanka would recommend to Chinese consumers, the president named several key products that are set to gain a stronger foothold in China.

"Today (Jan 15, 2025), we signed several memorandums of understanding with China, including an agreement to export poultry to China. In addition, our traditional jewelry products and signature spices are also worth recommending. We hope to further expand the market in China for Sri Lankan jewelry, spices, and other specialty products," said Dissanayake.

President Dissanayake took office in September last year, promising to bring a sharp shift in Sri Lankan governance by focusing on grassroots empowerment and equitable economic policies.

He arrived in Beijing on Jan 14 for a four-day state visit to China, which was his first trip to China since taking office.

Sri Lankan president looks forward to further strengthening economic, trade ties with China

South China's Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the world's largest FTP by area, is in smooth and orderly operations one month into the launch of its special customs operations.

The island has seen an increase in both the value of imports of zero-tariff goods and the number of foreign trade entities since Dec 18.

According to the Haikou Customs, from Dec. 18, 2025 to Jan. 17, 2026, the value of "first line" imported zero-tariff goods was 750 million yuan (about 107 million U.S. dollars); the value of processed and value-added goods sold domestically through the "second line" was about 85.9 million yuan.

Meanwhile, a total of 5,132 new foreign trade entities were registered in this period.

In addition, the duty-free sales supervised by customs reached 4.86 billion yuan, up 46.8 percent year on year, and the number of shoppers rose 30.2 percent year on year to 745,000, showing sustained strong consumption vitality.

To better meet the diverse needs of tourists, Hainan's duty-free policy ushered in a new round of adjustments on Nov. 1, 2025. The categories of duty-free goods increased from 45 to 47, and the beneficiary range was expanded to include outbound travelers, attracting more international tourists to duty-free shopping.

On Dec. 18 last year, China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanding zero-tariff coverage, and introducing more business-friendly measures.

One notable special customs policy is offering "freer access at the first line," referring to freer trade between Hainan and areas outside China's customs borders, and "regulated access at the second line," which involves applying standard customs controls for goods moving from Hainan to the mainland.

China's Hainan FTP sees early gains from island-wide special customs operations