Sri Lanka says ties with China misinterpreted

The Sri Lankan government Tuesday said its relationship with China has been misinterpreted by some countries.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka's relationship with China is purely for economic and development purposes, Xinhua reported.

The defence secretary was addressing a defence seminar in Colombo where delegates from several countries, including China, are participating.

Some countries feel China has strategic interests in Sri Lanka but Rajapaksa reiterated that even President Mahinda Rajapaksa had noted that Sri Lanka's ties with China are not a threat to any other country.

Rajapaksa said some foreign delegates who visited Sri Lanka in the past had also raised concerns over China's ties with Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa said Sri Lanka is keen to maintain strong ties with countries in the region, including Pakistan.