COLOMBO, Feb. 27 -- A 25-member Chinese trade delegation from Zhongshan of China's Guangdong Province will arrive in Sri Lanka early next month to promote trade with the island, a statement said on Thursday.

The delegation will arrive in Sri Lanka on March 4 and cover several sectors including light industries, construction equipment and food products.

During the visit, the Chinese delegation will meet officials of Sri Lanka's state run investment monitoring arm Board of Investments (BoI) and the delegates from the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association and Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC).

The delegation will also consider investment in manufacturing of light industrial items in Sri Lanka to export to the South Asian regions such as India and Pakistan, which are utilizing Free Trade Agreements with Sri Lanka.

The delegation's visit is expected to create opportunities for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs in investment cooperation, tourism, technology transfer, joint ventures and other partnerships.

The two countries are also in the midst of talks for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) expected to be signed later this year.