A high-level Sri Lankan delegation, led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, is due to travel to China next week and will likely appeal to the government to write off the enormous loans Sri Lanka has racked up, according to the Sunday Times.
Mr Wickremesinghe will be accompanied by ministers Malik Samarawickrema, Sajith Premadasa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Sarath Amunugama and Rauff Hakeem, with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera due to join them in Beijing.
Amongst the agreements that are planned to be signed there are an extradition treaty, promoting investment, economic and technical cooperation, sports cooperation, promoting tourism, the phase two of Southern Expressway, comprehensive cooperation between the Central Banks of China and Sri Lanka, integrated water supply loan agreement for Gampaha, Attanagalla and Minuwangoda, cooperation between the National Science Foundations of the two countries and initial talks on a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries, an export processing zone in Hambantota and further development of the port and airport there.
Sources in the government told the Sunday Times that the delegation may appeal to the Chinese to write off some of the loans extended to Sri Lanka in order to alleviate the current balance of payments crisis.
Chinese 'Port City' project to go ahead (11 March 2016)
Who benefits from Chinese loans to Sri Lanka? (21 November 2010)