Wickremesinghe again called for the formation of an all-party government. This is the only way to solve the problem. After meeting with opposition politicians, they said talks about a way out of the economic crisis had been “positive”. However, President Wickremesinghe was met with skepticism among the people. Many accuse him of standing behind his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to Singapore in mid-July after months of mass protests. He and his family are accused of running the country through corruption and mismanagement.

The furore surrounding the Chinese spy ship

Meanwhile, a Chinese military reconnaissance ship bound for Sri Lanka continues to cause irritation in the region. After India raised concerns about the presence of the Yuan Wang 5, believed to be a spy ship, government sources in Colombo said at the weekend that talks were underway with the Chinese embassy to delay the August 11 arrival at the Hambantota port. There is no confirmation about this.

Sri Lanka said the ship had only come for refueling and other supplies. According to the newspaper “Nikkei Asia”, some experts find this strange, since Sri Lanka itself lacks fuel. India fears the Chinese-financed and leased port in Beijing could serve as a military base. In India, it was shown that Sri Lanka was helped more than China during the crisis. “Asia’s Nikkei” writes that the small but strategically important island nation in the Indian Ocean was unable to alienate China or India. Sri Lanka needs both to overcome the worst economic crisis in its history.