COLOMBO, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- China Merchant Ports Holdings aims to building the Hambantota Port in southern Sri Lanka into a global maritime center, the company said at Colombo's Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
China Merchant Port Holdings (CM Port) entered into partnership with the Sri Lanka Port Authority in July.
It is the largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) ever implemented in Sri Lanka.
"We are targeting to turn the Hambantota port into a major hub connecting the neighboring countries as well as the rest of the world. That is the national vision of Sri Lanka and it is also our mission as an operator," said Deputy General Manager of CM Port Hang Tian at Colombo's Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
"Our intention is to contribute to the rich vision of Sri Lanka. We are able to bring new investment, new management methodology, and new technology by leveraging on the synergy of CM Port's global network," Hang added.
He also appealed to local investors to join CM Port to make the venture a success.
"We believe Hambantota port has the potential to play a more important role during the transformation of Sri Lanka's maritime industry and economy."
"The Hambantota port is closer to major marine routes than Colombo port, more importantly, it is located in southern Sri Lanka, an area that is less developed so far, hence we can be certain in the long run this port has tremendous potential if it can be well planned and operated efficiently," he added.
