Chinese Foreign Minister Wang in Sri Lanka for two day official visit

COLOMBO (News 1st); Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday (8) on 2-day visit to mark the 65th anniversary of Diplomatic Ties between the twi countries.

During his visit, the Chinese Foreign Minister will meet with the country's top leadership.

His visit marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations and the 70th anniversary of the

Lanka-China Rubber Rice Pact. Signed in 1952, the Rubber-Rice Pact was a trade agreement between Lanka and

China under which Colombo supplied rubber to Beijing in exchange for rice, leading to the establishment of

diplomatic relations and expansion of trade between the two nations.

Wang Yi, a native of Beijing, was born in October 1953. He began his first job in September 1969 and joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in May 1981. Wang graduated from the Department of Asian and African Languages of Beijing Second Foreign Languages Institute where he completed an undergraduate program in Japanese. He also holds a Master of Economics degree.

Wang is a member of the 19th CPC Central Committee, State Councilor, a member of the Leading CPC Members Group of the State Council, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

1969-1977 Worker, company messenger, battalion correspondent, acting publicity secretary, Heilongjiang Production and Construction Corps

1977-1978 Awaiting assignment in Beijing; employee, Intelligence Research Institute, Ministry of Post and Telecommunications

1978-1982 Japanese major, Department of Asian and African Languages, Beijing Second Foreign Languages Institute

1982-1989 Staff member, attaché, Deputy Director, Director, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)

1989-1994 Counselor (elevated to Deputy Director General-level in May 1992), Minister Counselor (since April 1993), Chinese Embassy in Japan

1994-1995 Deputy Director General, Department of Asian Affairs, MFA

1995-1998 Director General, Department of Asian Affairs, MFA (June 1997-January 1998: visiting scholar, Georgetown University, United States of America)

1998-2001 Assistant Minister, CPC Committee member, and Director General of Department of Policy Research, MFA

(1996-1998: Attended an in-service graduate program in world economy at the APEC Study Center of Nankai University and was awarded a Master of Economics degree; March-May 2000: attended a continuing studies course for provincial- and ministerial-level officials at Central Party School)

2001-2004 Vice Minister and CPC Committee member, MFA

2004-2007 Ambassador of China to Japan

2007-2008 Secretary of CPC Committee and Vice Minister, MFA

2008-2013 Director, Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and Minister, Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council

2013-2018 Minister and Deputy Secretary of CPC Committee, MFA

Since 2018 State Councilor, member of the Leading CPC Members Group of the State Council, and Minister of Foreign Affairs

Wang has been a member of the 17th through 19th CPC Central Committees.