Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena said on Friday that his country is ready to push forward pragmatic cooperation with China in trade and investment.

When meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Sirisena appreciated the long-time assistance offered by China to the island nation.

The Sri Lankan government is committed to developing friendly relations with China, and maintaining high-level and inter-party exchanges, he said.

The Sri Lankan side is ready to advance bilateral trade and economic cooperation by jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road with China, the president added.

For his part, Wang said China is willing to join hands with Sri Lanka to implement the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries and promote the development of China-Sri Lanka strategic cooperative partnership.

Next year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the 65th anniversary of the historic Rubber-Rice Pact between China and Sri Lanka, the Chinese minister noted, hoping that both countries could boost their high-level exchanges and political mutual trust.

By jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the two countries will enhance cooperation in various fields and large-scale projects, and strengthen coordination on international and regional issues, he said.

(Xinhua)