Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse, said at a trade and investment seminar in Beijing Wednesday that the development of his country's electric power, highway and housing as well as basic infrastructure are open to Chinese business.

Wan Jifei, President of the China Council For the Promotion of International Trade said, in recent years, China's business circles attach great importance to the Sri Lankan market and that the President's visit to China provides a valuable opportunity for both sides to deepen cooperation.

More than 300 businesspeople from the two countries attended the seminar.

Rajapakse is visiting China at the invitation of President Hu Jintao.

The Sri Lankan delegation consists of 70 people including the country's foreign minister and oil minister and telecommunications minister.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2007)