HONG KONG -- The Sri Lankan government, once keen to distance itself from a pro-China stance, is now steadily moving back to its former position. This was the message conveyed to the investment community by the country's finance minister, Ravi Karunanayake, during a stop in Hong Kong on Friday.
Speaking at an annual investor conference sponsored by Credit Suisse, Karunanayake said a free trade agreement with China was expected to be concluded "before the end of the year," as a result of the official visit to Beijing by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe which began on Wednesday.
