Ship docked at port, China keeps mum on extending financial aid to debt-ridden Sri Lanka
India Today
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin parried questions by the media over extending financial support to Sri Lanka after the country's high-tech vessel docked at Hambantota Port.
China on Tuesday docked its tracking and satellite support vessel Yuan Wang 5 at Sri Lanka's strategic southern port of Hambantota. The arrival of the ship, which was earlier deferred by the Sri Lankan government over alleged concerns raised by India, led to speculations of China extending financial aid to debt-strapped Sri Lanka.
However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin parried questions by the media over extending financial support to Sri Lanka, which went bankrupt after defaulting on USD 51 billion in foreign debt -- the majority of which was from China.
Replying to a question about whether China is considering providing the much-needed financial assistance to Sri Lanka considering its dying economy, Wang said, “As we have stressed many times, as Sri Lanka’s friendly neighbour, China feels deeply for the economic and social difficulties facing Sri Lanka at the moment”.
“China has been doing its utmost to support and help Sri Lanka pull through the difficulties. This is what we have been doing and what we will continue to do,” PTI quoted him as saying.
China is the main creditor of Sri Lanka and has invested heavily in the country's infrastructure.
While China has claimed to provide USD 73 million in aid and shipments of rice to the country, it has maintained a steady silence on Colombo's request for a bailout package.
