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(MENAFN – NewsIn.Asia) Colombo, September 20: An unusual flight arrived at Colombo airport in Sri Lanka on September 18. As the sun set and the lights came on, a dazzling China Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-300ER gleefully painted blue and prominently displaying the China International Import Expo (CIIE) insignia landed at the international airport. by Bandaranaike.
The mission of the flight was to promote the CIIE and also highlight China-Sri Lanka trade, economic cooperation and friendship, says a Xinhua report by Tang Lu.
The third CIIE, promoting the flight, is scheduled to take place from November 5 to 10 in Shanghai. China Eastern Airlines is the designated airline for the event.
The CIIE motto “New Era, Sharing the Future” and the mascot “Jinbao” painted on the plane attracted attention. As the protagonist of the exhibition, the cute panda “Jinbao” was shown holding the four-leaf clover, in an expression of blessing. The four-leaf clover is also the CIIE logo.
Colombo was reported to be the last port of call for the Jinbao global cruise ship. Significantly, it was the only stopover in South and Southeast Asia, clearly indicating the existence of a special relationship between China and Sri Lanka.
Earlier, Mr. Prabhash Subasinghe, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Export Development Bureau (EDB) expressed high expectations of the CIIE when he met with Yang Zuoyuan, Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka.
Subasinghe said that the CIIE in Shanghai would allow China to open its market and promote trade. The expo will also be a platform for other countries to showcase their development achievements and discuss global economic and trade issues. The Sri Lanka Export Development Agency (SLEDA) will ensure that local companies actively participate in the CIIE, Subasinghe said.
The discussion between Subasinghe and Yang Zuoyuan also focused on the importance of further strengthening trade between the two countries by fully utilizing the vast potential that was untapped.
The importance of Chinese investments in Sri Lanka was discussed, taking advantage of the regulatory framework of both countries, for a greater use of existing NAFTA concessions.
China is a very important trading partner for Sri Lanka. Total merchandise trade between the two countries amounted to about $ 4 billion in 2019. China’s total imports stood at about $ 4 billion, with a share of about 21% of total imports.
China was Sri Lanka’s eleventh largest export destination. The value of exports in 2019 was approximately US $ 230 Mn. The main export products were tea, activated carbon, electronic and electrical products, coconut fiber, clothing, mineral sands, petroleum products, tires and tubes made of rubber and tires.
Sri Lankan exporters and producers of apparel, spices, fresh fruits and other agricultural and food product sectors hope to explore the lucrative Chinese market. Nearly 400 million people in China consider themselves middle-class earners. This number is expected to grow 70% in 2030.
According to the IMF, China’s economic growth after the pandemic is projected to be 8.2%, which will provide great opportunities for its trading partners.
(The picture at the top shows the special painted flight of China Eastern Airlines to promote the Shanghai International Expo in November this year. Photo: Tang Lu)
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