Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry said on Saturday that Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera's talks in China were successful.

"Both sides reiterated the importance of the bilateral relationship between China and Sri Lanka, which has stood the test of time amidst changing international circumstances and evolution of domestic political situations, as testimony of a solid and deep friendship between the two countries," the ministry said.

Samaraweera told the Chinese side that it is the desire of the new government of Sri Lanka to further strengthen the warm and robust bilateral relations and the cooperative partnership which would be the key objective of the upcoming visit to China by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The foreign minister also briefed the Chinese side on recent developments in Sri Lanka, including the formation of the new government, which he said is a government of national unity between the two major political parties in Sri Lanka.

The minister said both parties have over years fostered Sri Lanka--China relations and as such, both the president and prime minister are keen to take forward the relationship to a new level.