On May 30, 2023, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, who attended the 12th round of diplomatic consultation between China and Sri Lanka, paid a courtesy call on President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe in Colombo.

Sun Weidong conveyed cordial greetings of President Xi Jinping to Ranil Wickremesinghe, and thanked Sri Lanka for immediately sending military vessels and divers to search for and rescue a Chinese fishing ship in the central part of the Indian Ocean, and emphasized that this is the latest example of sincere mutual help between China and Sri Lanka. As a traditional friendly neighbor and strategic cooperative partner, China always firmly supports Sri Lanka in safeguarding sovereign independence and territorial integrity, supports the government and all walks of life of Sri Lanka in standing together and overcoming difficulties, and supports Sri Lanka in following a development path suited to its own national conditions.

Sun Weidong briefed on China's new development philosophy, building a new development paradigm and realizing high-quality development, and the five features and major significance of Chinese modernization, and emphasized that China’s development will inject stability and certainty into Asia and the whole world. Sun Weidong said that China will follow the guidance of important common understandings reached between the leaders of the two countries and follow the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, to deepen Belt and Road cooperation, and play a constructive role in helping Sri Lanka realize national solidarity and stability, and sustainable economic development.

Ranil Wickremesinghe asked Sun Weidong to convey his sincere greetings to the Chinese leaders, and held the belief that China’s development philosophy provides inspiration and makes sense for fellow developing countries, in particular Asian countries, and countries in the region are opposed to decoupling and severing industrial and supply chains. Sri Lanka thanks China for supporting it in responding to current difficulties and realizing long-term development, stands ready to advance Belt and Road cooperation with China, and welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Sri Lanka, build financial centers, logistic centers and industrial parks, to help Sri Lanka integrate into the regional economy and realize common development.