The Luoyang Municipal Government Gifts a Peony Garden to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing

Following a visit by Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona to Luoyang in April during the Peony Festival, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Luoyang Municipal People’s Government has gifted a peony garden to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing.

A team, including representatives from the Foreign Affairs office of Luoyang, arrived with a truck load of mature peonies and helped plant them in the spacious garden of the Embassy. Even the soil for the plants came from Luoyang. The peony is the most popular flower of China. When in bloom, peonies present a soothingly beautiful sight.

The newly planted peony garden was symbolically handed over to the Ambassador and the staff of the Embassy on 20 October 2021 during a simple event held at the Embassy garden.

Accepting the gift Dr. Kohona said that "Just as the peonies will bloom next spring, and for many springs to come, the warm friendship between the people of the two countries, especially with the people of Luoyang, will continue to blossom".

Mr. Bai Zhibin, Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Luoyang Municipal People’s Government, said in response that they would welcome Sri Lankan businesses getting involved in beautiful Luoyang for business and investment purposes.


Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona visits KE Electric in Shijiazhuang and urges investing in Solar Power in Sri Lanka

The China National Energy Engineering and Construction Company Limited (CNEE) has offered to invest USD 800 million in Sri Lanka on 400 MW Renewable Energy Projects in Sri Lanka. The equipment and knowhow will be supplied by KE Electric.

Ambassador Dr. Kohona visited the massive KE Electric plant in Shejuazhuang producing a range of equipment for the generation and distribution of electricity. He was hosted by the Chairman of KE Electric, Mr. Chengsuo Zhang together with the Senior Management Team and was given a comprehensive tour of the establishment. Of particular interest was the equipment produced to generate and distribute electricity produced from solar.

Dr. Kohona explained the Government policy to produce 70% of Sri Lanka s electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030. He also touched upon the locations being made available by the Government for the purpose. He emphasised that the Government was looking for investors and will not take loans to finance any projects. The CINEE which had already done some preliminary work on potential locations together with the KE Electric, was in the process of preparing its proposals.

Subsequently, the Sri Lankan team was taken on a tour of an impressive solar installation,  Hongji PV Plant Project and Solar Demonstrative Project, in Beizhuang in Pingshan County of Shijiazhuang. Barren hillsides were covered with solar panels. KE produced control equipment, inverters, transmission lines, etc, were evident. Interestingly, 25% of the revenue generated from this project was directly allocated to village upliftment and poverty alleviation. A nearby village, which had witnessed  devastation during the war against the Japanese, was now prospering from this novel source of income.

The proposed CNEE project is expected to be on a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) or Build-Own-Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis.