Colombo, March 18 (NIA) – China’s Defence Minister Chang Wanquan will arrive with a high level 20 member delegation in Colombo on Sunday to hold discussions with Sri Lankan leaders.
Sources told NewsIn.Asia that the delegation will include the Secretary General of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China and a General of the Chinese Army.
The visit is the most high level visit by the Chinese defence side since the new government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn to power.
The delegation is expected to leave on March 21, before which they will meet several leaders including Sirisena and Wickremesinghe and discuss key issues including Chinese funded projects in the island country.
The visit comes amidst negotiations between Sri Lanka and China over the Hambantota Port with sources claiming that Sri Lanka had now amended the original Port agreement to hand over 60 per cent as equity swap to a state owned Chinese company instead of 80 per cent as proposed in the initial agreement.
