The two new tuna line vessels built in a Chinese shipyard in Longhai, Fujian province were delivered to Sri Lanka in December. Zhou Jingshun, chairman of Fujian Zishun Shipping Co, said after taking delivery of the vessels its Sri Lankan counterparts had expressed interest in further cooperation.

Zhou added that his firm had helped train Sri Lankans in the technology, maintenance, and practical use of the vessels.

Sri Lanka’s government aims to increase its seafood exports to USD1.3 billion by 2020 and to USD 5bn by 2030, Eworldship states.

The country’s location in the Indian Ocean makes it strategically important for China, which has grown its presence in the country. In December, China secured a 99-year lease for Sri Lanka’s southern port of Hambantota, seen as a linchpin in China’s ‘one belt, one road’ project.