The Sri Lankan government receives yet another monetary aid from China. Meanwhile, a Chinese-Sri Lanka joint project begins.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly offered Sri Lanka $295 million (2 billion Chinese yuan) worth of fresh grant, as Beijing further cements its blossoming relationship with the tiny island-nation, south of India.
On Saturday, Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena confirmed that his government did receive the Chinese grant.
During the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of China-funded friendship hospital in Polonnaruwa in north-central Sri Lanka, Sirisena said that Beijing is sending over the said amount of gift bond for his government to be used in any project. According to the Sri Lankan head of state, he is looking to use the funds to build homes around the country.
"When the Chinese Ambassador visited my house to fix the date for this ceremony, he said that Chinese President Xi Jinping sent me another gift," Sirinesa revealed. "He has gifted two billion yuan to be utilized for any project of my wish. I'm going to hand over a proposal to the Chinese Ambassador to build houses in all the electorates in the country."
Since 1983, Sri Lanka had been under a bloody civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil. In 2009, the Sri Lankan government forces finally crushed the insurgent forces, marking the end of the 26-year-long conflict.
Among other countries, China was among the first to offer help in rebuilding the nation.
At the same groundbreaking event, Sirinesa said that the hospital in Polonnaruwa will greatly benefit the entire country, especially that much of the region's population is suffering chronic kidney diseases.
The National Nephrology Specialist Hospital, when completed, is expected to cover 25,517 square meters of land area, which is by far the largest of its kind in South Asia, a report from Xinhua said.
The construction of the kidney center was one of the initiatives of the President Sirinesa to alleviate the condition of the country in the health and wellness sector. China's assistance for this project ensures that Sri Lankan people will get to be treated at a state-of-the-art facility, "the finest," as the report puts it.
Sirinesa is also open to receiving foreign patients who will seek kidney treatment in the country.
We are thankful to the Chinese government for fulfilling the president's request and constructing this hospital," Rajitha Senaratne, Sri Lanka's Health Minister said.
Construction of the hospital is expected to be finished in 2020.
