Pathway to brighter future: Belt and Road Initiative in South Asia (2)

Sri Lanka: BRI provides robust impetus for post-pandemic economic recovery and sustainable development

Sri Lanka has been an early and active participant in the BRI and has engaged in multiple cooperation programs with China. The country and its people are now benefiting from investments in energy and transport infrastructure.

China stands ready to steadily push forward major projects like the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port, and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, providing a robust impetus for Sri Lanka's post-pandemic economic recovery and sustainable development, said Chinese President Xi Jinping on a phone conversation with Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on March 29, 2021.

Colombo Port City

Aerial photo taken on Nov. 26, 2021 shows a panoramic view of Colombo's Port City in Sri Lanka. (China's CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd./Handout via Xinhua)

In September 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping and then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa jointly inaugurated the cooperation project for the Colombo Port City. The project is a large-scale investment undertaking jointly developed by the China Harbour Engineering Company and the Sri Lankan government. It is regarded as a cooperation model for jointly building the Belt and Road. The project will create more than 80,000 jobs and attract more than $15 billion in investment.

It is a landmark in the island country and will be the main income generator for the future, said former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Hambantota Port

Aerial photo taken on June 30, 2021 shows a cargo ship at Sri Lanka's Hambantota International Port. Sri Lanka's Hambantota International Port has experienced 187-percent growth in total cargo volumes in the first six months of 2021, compared to the same period last year, a statement by the operating company said Tuesday. (Photo by Liu Hongru/Xinhua)

The Hambantota Port, situated about 163 kilometers away from the capital city, Colombo, is yet another crucial BRI project in Sri Lanka. It is a deep-water port and was constructed in two phases. In 2007, China invested $1.5 billion to assist with the construction of the port and in 2016 the first and second phases of the Hambantota Port project were completed. In November 2021, the Chinese-built Hambantota Port became the country's first port conforming to internationally-recognized integrated management system standards.