2026-05-12
News Categories : News
A delegation headed by Hon. (Prof.) Xin Chunying, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chairperson of the Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC of the People’s Republic of China, called on Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, the Hon. Speaker at Parliament recently.
The delegation also included Hon. Cong Bin, Member of the Standing Committee of the NPC and Vice Chairperson of the Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC, Hon. Gao Zicheng, Member of the Constitution and Law Committee and several accompanying officials.
Ms. Kushani Rohanadeera, the Secretary General of Parliament was also present on the occasion.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, the Hon. Speaker of Parliament of Sri Lanka reaffirmed the longstanding and cordial bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and China, which span over 2,000 years. He further highlighted that the 70th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries will be commemorated in 2027.
The Hon. Speaker extended sincere appreciation to the Government of China for the continuous support extended to Sri Lanka over the decades as a trusted and longstanding friend. He especially recalled China’s assistance during difficult periods, including the aftermath of the cyclone ‘Ditwah’, the recent economic crisis and the support extended to Sri Lanka at international and multilateral forums.
Hon. (Prof.) Xin Chunying reiterated the strong and enduring relations between Sri Lanka and China and commended Sri Lanka’s ongoing development efforts. She also emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary diplomacy between the two legislatures and reaffirmed China’s continued commitment to further enhancing bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit.
Subsequently, the delegation met with Bimal Ratnayake, the Hon. Chair of the Sri Lanka – China Parliamentary Friendship Association, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, the Leader of the House of Parliament and held cordial discussions on matters of mutual interest. During the meeting, Hon. Minister Ratnayake expressed his gratitude to China for the assistance provided to Sri Lanka during challenging times. The discussions also focused on enhancing Parliamentary exchanges, cooperation in policymaking, and strengthening institutional ties between the two countries through Sri Lanka – China Parliamentary Friendship Association.
Members of the Sri Lanka – China Parliamentary Friendship Association, Hon. Members of Parliament Thanura Dissanayake and Anushka Thilakaratna, Attorney at Law also participated in the discussion.
Thereafter, the delegation participated in a joint meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee (MCC) on Justice and National Integration and the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection.
The meeting was attended by Harshana Nanayakkara, Attorney-at-Law, Hon. Minister of Justice and National Integration and Chair of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Justice and National Integration, (Dr.) Najith Indika, Hon. Member of Parliament and Chair of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection and several Members of Parliament representing the respective committees.
Both Chairpersons expressed appreciation for China’s continued support towards judicial and legal sector development in Sri Lanka. During the discussions, both parties exchanged views and shared experiences on legal and judicial practices, governance, and institutional cooperation.
The Hon. Speaker also hosted a luncheon meeting in honour of the visiting delegation.
2026-06-11
The Sri Lankan Parliamentary delegation, which participated in the Workshop for Members of Parliament of Sri Lanka in the People’s Republic of China, returned to Sri Lanka on 05th June 2026 upon the successful completion of its official programme.The delegation, led by Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Kaushalya Ariyarathna, M.P., Deputy Minister of Mass Media, participated in the programme conducted by the International Cooperation Center of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China from 26th May to 04th June 2026.During the course of the visit, the delegation participated in sessions conducted by senior Chinese academics, researchers, and officials on China’s governance framework, development strategy, democratic consultation mechanisms, and national policy direction.The delegation also undertook official visits to key national institutions, including the National People’s Congress (NPC) Conference Hall and the Great Hall of the People. In addition, it attended a reception hosted by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing on 29th May 2026 to mark International Tea Day, highlighting Sri Lanka’s rich tea heritage and its contribution to cultural and economic ties.The programme continued in Shenzhen and later in Guangzhou, where the delegation visited institutions and development projects in the fields of smart infrastructure, advanced technology, communications, agriculture, and new energy industries.The Workshop provided a valuable platform for enhancing parliamentary diplomacy, institutional exchange, and knowledge-sharing between Sri Lanka and the People’s Republic of China, further strengthening the longstanding friendly relations between the two countries.
2026-06-10
A programme to brief Hon. Members of Parliament on Sri Lanka’s current monetary policy, exchange rate policy and the country’s economic situation was held in Parliament today (10th June).The programme was conducted under the patronage of Hon. Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. Resource persons included the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, together with a group of senior officials from the Central Bank.During the session, Members of Parliament were briefed on the current monetary policy in the country, the behavior of the exchange rate, economic stability and matters relating to the economic progress of Sri Lanka. Central Bank officials also responded to questions and comments raised by Members, providing clarifications and explanations.The event was attended by the Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees Hemali Weerasekara, Hon. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa, Hon. Members of Parliament and the Secretary General of Parliament (Ms.) Kushani Rohanadeera and several other officials.
2026-06-09
The Determination of the Supreme Court in respect of the Bill titled “Prevention of Money Laundering (Amendment)” which was challenged in the Supreme Court under Article 121(1) of the Constitution, was announced to Parliament today (Jun. 09) by the Hon. Speaker, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.Accordingly, the Supreme Court has determined that the Bill may be passed by the simple majority of Parliament, except Clause 14 [proposed Section 12A(b)] and Clause 18 [proposed Sections 17A, 17B and 17C] which Clauses shall be passed by the special majority of Parliament. Furthermore, the Speaker informed Parliament that the Supreme Court has further determined that the said Clauses too can be passed by the simple majority of Parliament if they are amended as proposed by the Court.The Hon. Speaker also ordered that the Determination of the Supreme Court be printed in the official report of today's proceedings.
2026-06-08
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Parliamentary Interpreters (API) was held recently at Committee Room No. 02 of the Parliament of Sri Lanka.During the meeting, the following office bearers were elected to serve the Association for the year 2026: Mr. B.M. Razeel as President, Mr. M.I.M. Fazi as Vice President, Mr. M.T. Zainur Rifa as Treasurer, Mr. C. Manimaran as Secretary, and Miss D. Thulankani as Assistant Secretary. The Executive Committee comprises Mr. M. Mayureshan and Mrs. A.A.S. Safaya.Following the election, the newly elected office bearers posed for a group photograph with the Chief Parliamentary Interpreter, Mr. C.J. Karunarathna, Attorney-at-Law, and the Deputy Chief Parliamentary Interpreters, Mr. A.G.M. Fiqrhi, Mr. A. Saravanabavanandan and Mrs. N.B.C.J. Nissanga.
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