Three fishery harbors affected by the 2004 tsunami and reconstructed by the Chinese government were handed over to the Sri Lankan government on Friday.

In a simple ceremony held in Colombo, Chinese Ambassador Ye Dabo said he was very happy to see the completion of reconstruction of the Panadura, Beruwela and Kudawela fishery harbors located in Sri Lanka's western and southern coasts.

He said although China is a developing country and its aid is limited, the Chinese people are sincere and the Chinese government has always honored its commitments.

"We are always ready to provide assistance for the economic and social development of Sri Lanka, a time-honored fried of China, to the best of our abilities," said the ambassador.

Sri Lankan Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera expressed his government's gratitude to the aid provided by China.

"Without the help of China and other friendly countries, it's impossible to imagine how Sri Lanka can stand up from the catastrophe," said Perera.

Commencing in early 2005, the three projects were completed ahead of schedule with sound quality, said representatives from the builder, China Harbor Engineering Company.

Fishery was among the major industries devastated by the 2004 tsunami, which killed nearly 40,000 people and left about one million people homeless in the island.

(Xinhua News Agency December 29, 2007)