On May 13, 2022, when meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said that the new Sri Lankan government will continue to attach great importance to the development of friendly cooperation with China and unswervingly promote the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Wickremesinghe thanked China for its tremendous help in all aspects for Sri Lanka to tide over the difficulties. He said that the new government will speed up the development of major cooperation projects between the two countries, such as Colombo Port City and Hambantota Port, and make every effort to protect the safety of Chinese institutions and personnel in Sri Lanka.

Qi Zhenhong congratulated Wickremesinghe on his re-election as Prime Minister. He said that China empathizes with Sri Lanka's difficulties, and will step up cooperation with Sri Lanka to deliver China's emergency humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka as soon as possible, and continue to provide Sri Lanka with more urgently needed livelihood assistance to the best of its ability. Under the current severe and complex situation, the Chinese side believes and hopes that the Sri Lankan government will make every effort to protect the safety of all Chinese-funded institutions, enterprises, projects and personnel in Sri Lanka, and will, as always, push forward the development of major economic and trade cooperation projects between the two countries.

Due to social and political instability caused by the economic crisis, Sri Lanka's ruling Popular Front party leader Mahinda Rajapaksa announced her resignation as prime minister on May 9. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed United National Party leader Wickremesinghe as the new prime minister on May 12. Wickremesinghe was sworn in that night. Editor / Xu Shengpeng