Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) holds a welcome ceremony for the visiting Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Feb. 27, 2007.   BEIJING, Feb. 28 - China and Sri Lanka on Tuesday signed a series of deals when Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse is visiting Beijing to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

 

The eight agreements on economy, investment, movies, agriculture and eye corneas donation were signed after President Hu Jintao held one-hour talks with Rajapakse.

 

In recent years, China and Sri Lanka have witnessed frequent high-level exchanges and increasing trade cooperation, said Hu, adding that the two countries have shared mutual understanding and support in international and regional affairs.

 

"Facts prove that China and Sri Lanka are close and friendly neighbors, reliable friends and cooperative partners," Hu said.

 

China thanks Sri Lanka for its adherence to the one-China policy and will support the efforts Sri Lanka has made to safeguard sovereignty, national unity and territorial integrity, Hu said.

 

Hu suggested the two countries work closely to finalize the large cooperative projects and projects aided by China, and deepen cooperation in such fields as infrastructure.

 

Both as developing countries, the two countries enjoy extensive interests in international and regional affairs and China will strengthen coordination with Sri Lanka in multilateral organizations like the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

 

Rajapakse reaffirmed Sri Lanka's adherence to one-China policy, saying his country will learn from China's experiences.

 

Rajapakse vowed to enhance bilateral cooperation on such areas as trade, culture, infrastructure, energy development, tourism, anti-terrorism and international affairs.

 

Total trade volume between China and Sri Lanka reached 1.44129 billion U.S. dollars in 2006, increasing by 16.9 percent over the previous year, including 1.10646 billion U.S. dollars of exports and 34.83 million U.S. dollars of imports.

 

Rajapakse arrived here Monday, kicking off a seven-day state visit to China.

 

Rajapakse presented two corneas, a replica of a Buddha statue and a five-year-old male elephant to China as gifts for the 50 years anniversary of diplomatic ties.

 

Besides Beijing, Rajapakse will also visit China's business hub Shanghai, Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong Province, and central Hubei Province.