COLOMBO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has thanked China's government and people for the valuable medical aid sent to Sri Lanka in recent months as the island country fought the COVID-19 pandemic which killed 11 people and infected over 1,800.

Following talks between President Rajapaksa and charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy Hu Wei on Thursday, President Rajapaksa told Xinhua that China was a good friend of Sri Lanka and he appreciated the large number of medical equipment donated by the Chinese government and people.

"I also appreciate the assistance on the economic side provided by China," President Rajapaksa said.

During the discussions, Hu handed over the list of supplies donated by China over the past three months to President Rajapaksa. The Sri Lankan president thanked China for its unstinting support during the past difficult weeks as Sri Lanka battled with the pandemic.

President Rajapaksa reiterated in a statement on his official Twitter account that China and Sri Lanka had shown immense cooperation in supporting each other during the pandemic and will continue to foster relations.

During the talks, a range of other issues were also discussed by the two parties with the main focus being on how best to boost the Colombo Port City Project and to promote the Sri Lankan tea, renowned as the world's best, in China. Topics also included Chinese investments in manufacturing in Sri Lanka and improving financial cooperation between the two countries.