Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Sunday Sep 21, 2025
Thursday, 18 September 2025 05:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
President Disanayake (right) with Chinese Envoy Qi Zhenhong at the ceremony to begin construction of the Central Expressway section from Kadawatha to Mirigama yesterday
Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong yesterday said the Presidency of Anura Kumara Disanayake had ushered in “a new era with renewed vitality” for the country, while describing the Central Expressway as a key project for national development, speaking at the commencement ceremony to launch construction of the Kadawatha-Mirigama section of the expressway.
“Fortunately, with the election of President Disanayake, Sri Lanka has entered a new era with renewed vitality, and the project has now embraced a major turning point with its full resumption,” the Ambassador said.
He called the expressway “a key project for the country to overcome difficulties and achieve national revitalisation, and a new landmark of the enduring friendship between the peoples of China and Sri Lanka.”
The Ambassador noted that Chinese authorities and enterprises had “overcome numerous difficulties and worked hand in hand with the Sri Lankan side” to restart the project. He urged both countries to “continue to work together in the spirit of sincerity and pragmatic cooperation, join hands to steadily advance the construction process, ensure its timely and high-quality completion, and deliver tangible benefits to the people of Sri Lanka at an early date.”
The Kadawatha-Mirigama section is the first phase of the Central Expressway, a priority initiative for the Government. Construction had stalled in recent years but has now resumed, with completion targeted for mid-2028.
