COLOMBO, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The state-owned Sri Lanka Ports Authority said on Thursday that it would purchase three ship-to-shore gantry cranes from China for its deep water terminal at the Colombo Port to handle bigger container ships.

The Government Information Department said the government had approved a proposal by Minister of Ports, Shipping and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayaka to buy the cranes for the Jaya Container Terminal from China's Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company Limited (ZPMC).

ZPMC is the world's largest container handling equipment manufacturer.

The Colombo Port consists of the Jaya Container Terminal of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, South Asia Gateway Terminal of the John Keells Holdings and Colombo International Container Terminal of China's CM Port.