Sri Lanka says it did not take a statement made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi seriously on interference in Sri Lanka.

In an interview with The Hindu, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said that no one has tried to interfere in Sri Lanka’s matters so far other than in 2015.

When he was asked for his views on a statement made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a visit to Colombo, where he had said that China will ensure that there is no outside interference in Sri Lanka.
 
“We didn’t take the statement too seriously, as no one has yet tried to interfere in our matters… other than during the last elections [2015]. Then, all the countries got involved in [the elections]. But now we would like to have good relations and work with all the countries,” Rajapaksa said.
 
The Prime Minister also said that during his visit to India he had sought a moratorium on all loan repayments for three years until Sri Lanka revives the economy.

“If the Indian government takes this step, then other governments might agree to do the same thing, including China. The previous Government took so many loans, they beggared the economy, and it is a mess. It all depends on the stand India takes,” he said.