US, China pledge help to Sri Lanka

PTI

Colombo, June 13

In a significant development, the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong met his US counterpart Julie Chung here on Monday and held discussions on “broad topics of mutual interest” and pledged support in helping the island nation mitigate its crisis.

Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948. The economic crisis has prompted an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas and other fuel, toilet paper, and even matches, with Sri Lankans being forced to wait in lines lasting hours outside stores to buy fuel and cooking gas.