Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has hailed China for its emergence as the world’s most powerful economy under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and said it was important for his country to understand how it can ensure progress by tapping the potential of the future cyber age.

Delivering a speech by zoom at the centenary of the CPC, Wickremesinghe referred to how the CPC transformed China from a non-industrial agricultural country into an industrialized nation.

“We should appreciate the leadership given to China by the Chinese Communist Party. Under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, China has become the most powerful country in the world economy today.

“It is important for us to understand how the development of the future cyber age applies to Sri Lanka and how it progresses. The Chinese Communist Party, as a world power, has a great responsibility to lead China and ensure world peace,” he said.

The former prime minister said both Sri Lanka and China launched their respective war of independence against the imperialists in 1919.

“At that time we in Sri Lanka started the Ceylon National Congress. China launched a campaign called May 04. It was through that movement that the Chinese Communist Party was formed in 1921,” he said, according to a Daily Mirror report.

Commending China for its efforts to eradicate poverty, Wickremesinghe said under President Xi Jinping, efforts were being made to ensure the greatness of the Chinese nation and action has been taken to provide a green economy.

“The Belt and Road Initiative, in particular, creates a new economic framework that connects Asia,Africa and Europe. This is the first time in the world that such an economic framework is emerging in Asia,” he said.

Wickremesinghe's comments came soon after similar adulatory remarks by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who, speaking earlier this week at the same forum virtually,  called China "our oldest friend" in history and said Beijing has “greatly helped” Sri Lanka to preserve its independence as the former never invaded other countries.

(SAM)