Colombo, March 30 (IANS): Sri Lanka has decided to resume road development projects with China, an official said on Sunday.

Udaya Ranjith Seneviratne, Secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Highways, Higher Education and Investment Promotion, told Xinhua that the ministry had already made payments to Chinese contractors for the projects.

Some Chinese companies had earlier decided to suspend some of the projects owing to non-payment.

One of the projects to immediately recommence work would be the extension of the Southern Expressway, Seneviratne said.

"We paid the Chinese companies one billion Sri Lankan rupees (nearly $7.6 million) last week so that they could continue with the projects without any hindrance. The government is committed to continue these road projects with China and we have informed the companies to accelerate their work so that they could finish soon," Seneviratne added.

He also said that the Sri Lankan government would continue to give road development projects to these Chinese companies as the government valued the development projects done by China in the past.