Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on January 12, 2025, during a brief transit visit to Colombo, using the meeting to set out Beijing’s stance on rising global instability and to reaffirm support for Sri Lanka in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.
According to China’s state news agency Xinhua, Wang Yi declared that the world’s second-largest economy would work with like-minded countries to resist what he described as a return to international power politics.
“Wang Yi said that in the face of an increasingly complex and volatile international situation, China will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, especially small and medium-sized countries, resolutely uphold the purposes of the United Nations Charter and international law,” Xinhua reported.
He further stated that China would “and work with like-minded countries to oppose the resurgence of the law of the jungle, resist all forms of power politics and bullying acts, and defend multilateralism and international justice.”
Wang’s comments come at a time of mounting geopolitical tension, particularly following a series of aggressive moves by the United States under President Donald Trump. In recent weeks, Trump has threatened military action against Iran and imposed a 25 percent tariff on all countries trading with Tehran, escalating fears of economic and political confrontation, as well issuing a series of remarks on acquiring Greenland and carrying out a military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from Caracas.
During the meeting, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath briefed Wang Yi on the extensive damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah and requested Chinese assistance for large-scale reconstruction.
In a statement issued after the talks, Herath said discussions focused on further advancing cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, and post-disaster rebuilding.
“In this regard, I particularly requested the assistance of the Chinese government in infrastructure development including reconstruction of identified roads, railways and bridges which were affected,” Herath said.
He added that Wang Yi “assured his personal intervention to the said request and expressed confidence that Sri Lanka is on the right track for early recovery, and reaffirmed the Chinese Government’s fullest support.”