China to work with Sri Lanka to facilitate return of medical students

China has agreed to facilitate the return of Sri Lankan medical students to China to complete their studies.

The agreement was reached following a special request made by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The matter was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Rajapaksa and the visiting Foreign Minister at Temple Trees this morning.

Currently, approximately 1,200 medical students, including 400 final-year students, who were studying at Chinese medical institutions, are waiting to return to China to complete their studies. They have been unable to return due to restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic. In response to the Prime Minister?s special request, Foreign Minister Yi assured that Sri Lankan students will be given highest priority.

During the bilateral discussions between the two delegations, a host of other matters were also discussed, including further support for the vaccine program, attracting investments to the Port City and the Hambantota Industrial Zone, increasing tourism from China to Sri Lanka, increasing Sri Lankan exports to China and enhancing cultural cooperation, especially in the area of Buddhist ties.

Following the discussions, the delegations signed the following agreements:

• Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation
• Letter of Exchange on?the Project of Subsidized Housing for Low Income Category in Colombo
• Handover Certificate of the Technical Cooperation Project for BMICH
• Handover Certificate of the Technical Cooperation Project for the Kidney Disease Mobile Screening Ambulance Vehicles

Foreign Minister Yi was on a one-day visit to Sri Lanka to launch the celebrations marking the 65th anniversary of Sri Lanka?China bilateral relations. (Colombo Gazette)