Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong on Tuesday underscored China’s commitment to innovation, openness, and shared development under its upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, saying the new phase would further strengthen cooperation with Sri Lanka and the wider world.
Delivering the keynote address at the Marino Beach Hotel, Ambassador Qi said the recently concluded Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China had adopted recommendations for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, which will guide China’s economic and social development in the years ahead.
He noted that since its first Five-Year Plan in 1953, China had risen from an impoverished agricultural country to the world’s second-largest economy, achieving “two miracles rarely seen in the world—rapid growth and long-term stability.” The next plan, he said, would be “a key link between the past and the future” as China works toward achieving socialist modernization by 2035.
Highlighting three major themes, Qi said innovation would remain the primary driver of growth, with China aiming to strengthen emerging technologies such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, 6G, and biomedicine. He also pledged that China’s doors would open even wider, with deeper trade and investment reform and continued support for Belt and Road cooperation.
Emphasizing shared prosperity, the envoy said China’s development would “create more opportunities for global growth,” reaffirming Beijing’s commitment to inclusivity and mutual benefit.
Ambassador Qi also reaffirmed Beijing’s readiness to align its strategies with Sri Lanka’s development vision, noting synergies with initiatives such as “Clean Sri Lanka,” “Digital Sri Lanka,” and “Rural Development.”
“China stands ready to work hand in hand with Sri Lanka,” he said, “to build a community with a shared future and bring brighter prospects for both nations.”