CPC anniversary: China highlights party-to-party engagement

China has reaffirmed its commitment to global cooperation, development partnerships and strengthening China–Sri Lanka relations, as the Communist Party of China (CPC) marked its 105th anniversary, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong said. Speaking at a reception held in Colombo last Wednesday (01) to commemorate the milestone, Ambassador Qi said the CPC, over its 105-year journey, had transformed China through reform, development and modernisation while remaining “true to its original aspiration” of serving the people. He said the leadership of the CPC was “a choice of history and the people,” noting that China’s development trajectory had been shaped by decades of reform and opening-up, lifting living standards and strengthening national capacity. Highlighting China’s development achievements, the Ambassador said the country had eradicated absolute poverty, built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and established comprehensive education, healthcare and social security systems covering both urban and rural populations. He added that China’s economy, with a gross domestic product exceeding 140 trillion yuan, continued to play a leading role in global trade and technological innovation, citing advances in areas such as lunar exploration, deep-sea research, high-speed rail and 5G technology. Ambassador Qi also underscored China’s global initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development, Security, Civilization and Governance Initiatives, saying they had been embraced by nearly 160 countries and international organisations. He said China remained a “builder of world peace and contributor to global development.” Turning to bilateral relations, he said China and Sri Lanka shared a longstanding friendship rooted in ancient ties and strengthened through continuous political and party-to-party engagement based on mutual respect and equality. He noted that recent high-level exchanges, including meetings between President Xi Jinping and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, had provided new direction for bilateral cooperation. The Ambassador said the Communist Party of China was ready to expand exchanges with Sri Lankan political parties, share governance experiences, and deepen practical cooperation in areas such as poverty alleviation and digital development. He added that China and Sri Lanka should work together to implement the consensus reached by both heads of state and build a “China–Sri Lanka community with a shared future of strategic significance.” Concluding his remarks, Ambassador Qi said global challenges required greater solidarity among nations and reiterated China’s willingness to work with all countries to promote peace, development and mutual prosperity. “Walking with China means walking with opportunities,” he said, proposing a toast to the CPC’s anniversary, the health of guests, and the continued friendship between the peoples of all nations.