Sri Lanka seeks China’s support for flood damaged railways, bridges and EV charging network

Sri Lanka has sought urgent Chinese assistance to repair flood damaged railway lines and bridges, while also proposing the installation of electric vehicle charging stations nationwide, during a meeting held today (December 29) between Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath stated that he met the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong this morning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism.

During the meeting, Ambassador Qi said he expects to assess the damage caused in Sri Lanka by Cyclone Ditwah and to discuss the situation with the Chinese Government to identify possible assistance that can be provided across all sectors.

The Minister informed the Ambassador that the Sri Lankan Government expects urgent support from China to restore railway lines and bridges damaged due to the recent flood situation. Ambassador Qi agreed to immediately bring this request to the attention of the Chinese Government.

Minister Herath also highlighted that Sri Lanka is already importing electric vehicles in large numbers from China and other global markets, with imports increasing steadily. He proposed that attention be given to installing electric vehicle charging stations across the country.

He further noted that this would be an important step, as the Government of Sri Lanka plans to import a larger number of electric buses in the future.

According to the Minister, the Chinese Ambassador welcomed the proposal and agreed to inform the Chinese Government about it.