Xi Jinping Congratulates Sri Lanka's First Marxist President: Dissanayake

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Sri Lanka's newly sworn-in President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dissanayake, a Marxist leader, became the ninth president of Sri Lanka after defeating his rival Sajith Premadasa. During his inaugural address, he emphasized the need for international cooperation to tackle the country's economic crisis.

Chinese President Xi Jinping extended his congratulations to Sri Lanka's new President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, immediately following his swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

Known to many as AKD, the 56-year-old Marxist leader took the oath of office as Sri Lanka's ninth president, with Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya officiating at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. Dissanayake emerged victorious over his closest competitor, Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), in the recent elections held on Saturday.

Official channels reported that Xi, now 71, promptly sent his congratulations to Dissanayake, who heads the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party's broader coalition, the National People's Power (NPP), soon after the inauguration.

Marking a historic milestone, Dissanayake is the first-ever Marxist party leader to ascend to the presidency in Sri Lanka. In the previous year, he had visited China to discuss bilateral relations with Chinese officials.

China, alongside India, stands as the largest creditor to Sri Lanka, having acquired the Hambantota port on a 99-year lease as a debt settlement.

During his inaugural address to the nation on Monday, President Dissanayake emphasized that Sri Lanka cannot afford to remain isolated and highlighted the importance of international collaboration.

Dissanayake candidly remarked that he is no magician, but aims to foster a collective effort to address the severe economic challenges facing the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)