August 13, 2026
3 developments
Ambassador Qi ends six-year tenure
He used his farewell to renew the call for a China-Sri Lanka free trade agreement stalled since 2017 and to reject the debt-trap narrative.
Successor inherits a changed relationship
Wei Huaxiang arrives after restructuring, with lending terms harder and Beijing pushing trade rather than infrastructure.
2027 anniversaries provide political cover
Both sides have linked the FTA push to the 70th year of diplomatic relations and the 75th of the Rubber-Rice Pact.