Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave China a very substantial gift in the form of a 5-year-old elephant named Migara.
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Migara, which will live at the Beijing Zoo, weighs nearly a ton and is named after an ancient Sri Lankan chancellor, China's Xinhua News Service reported Monday.
The gift will also help mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and China. Also, 2007 has been designated as the official Chinese-Sri Lankan Friendship Year.
Rajapaksa, during the presentation ceremony, said the Sri Lankan people revere elephants and Migara represents their friendship toward the Chinese people.
"I believe Migara will adapt to his new home in Beijing very soon," he said.
The Sri Lankan government bestowed two other elephants as gifts to China in 1972 and in 1979.
