China’s Xi extends support to Sri Lanka’s new leader amid turmoil
According to the sources, it claims that as the Indian Ocean island battles its worst economic crisis in decades, Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly pledged his support to Sri Lanka’s new president on Friday. Amid ferocious public resistance, Ranil Wickremesinghe, a lawyer who held the position of the prime minister of Sri Lanka a record six times, was sworn in on Thursday.
The problem in Sri Lanka led to months of widespread protests and ultimately caused the country’s former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to leave. According to CCTV, Xi stated in his message that he is “ready to provide support and help to President Wickremesinghe and the people of Sri Lanka in their efforts” and that he hopes Sri Lanka will be able to progress toward economic and social recovery.
We also came to know that although other estimates put Sri Lanka’s debt to China at almost double that amount, it is at least $5 billion. According to the International Monetary Fund, India has also loaned it $3.8 billion, Japan is owing at least $3.5 billion, and other wealthy nations owe it another $1 billion. A state of emergency has been declared by Wickremesinghe.
Fears that Wickremesinghe had started a crackdown a day after taking office were increased when security personnel attacked and largely evicted a protest camp that had taken up residence on government property in Colombo on Friday.