Sri Lanka seeks Chinese aid to rebuild after deadly cyclone

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka asked China to help rebuild key infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, which killed at least 641 people and caused extensive damage, the island’s foreign minister said on Monday.

Vijitha Herath said he made the request during talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who stopped in Colombo on Monday after visiting Tanzania and Lesotho.

“I particularly requested the assistance of the Chinese government in infrastructure development, including the reconstruction of identified roads, railways, and bridges that were affected,” Herath said in a statement.

He added that Wang had “assured his personal intervention” to assist Sri Lanka’s recovery from the deadly cyclone, which struck in November.

The two sides also discussed advancing cooperation in trade, investment and tourism, Herath said.

READ MORE: Sri Lanka cyclone caused $4.1bn damage: World Bank

There was no immediate comment from the Chinese embassy in Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s request for Chinese assistance came three weeks after India pledged $450 million in humanitarian aid for cyclone recovery.

The cyclone affected more than 10 percent of the country’s 22 million population. The World Bank has estimated that physical damage alone amounted to about $4.1 billion.

Both China and India have been competing for influence in the small but strategically located South Asian nation, which has emerged as a geopolitical hotspot in recent years.

Sri Lanka lies halfway along the main east-west international shipping route and has the only deep-sea ports between Dubai and Singapore.