Sri Lanka seeks Chinese aid to rebuild after deadly cyclone

FILE PHOTO: Tea plantation workers walk toward a safety centre after their shift in an area affected by floods and landslides after Cyclone Ditwah in Galamuduna Estate in Dolosbage, Sri Lanka, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. The cyclone affected more than 10 per cent of the country's 22 million population. - AP

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 (Jan 12).

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.