On September 23 2024 President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to Anura Kumara Dissanayake on his inauguration as President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Sri Lanka are traditional friendly neighbors. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries 67 years ago China and Sri Lanka have always understood and supported each other setting a good example of friendly coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries of different sizes. Xi Jinping said that he highly values the development of China-Sri Lanka relations and is ready to work with President Dissanayake to carry forward the traditional friendship enhance political mutual trust facilitate more fruitful high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and make steady and long-term progress of China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership featuring sincere mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship so as to bring more benefits to the people of the two countries.