Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya accused opposition groups of attempting to create diplomatic incidents and engage in acts of sabotage.
Briefing Parliament on measures to address issues in the education sector, the Prime Minister expressed disappointment over these efforts.
“As you know, the government has taken steps to provide the full school uniform requirements for 2025 with the support of the Chinese government. Unfortunately, while we work tirelessly to resolve issues, opposition groups are trying to sabotage our efforts,” Amarasuriya said.
The Prime Minister was referring to an incident last week when she reportedly arrived late to an event where the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka symbolically handed over school uniforms donated by the Chinese government. The Prime Minister criticised the coverage given to this event by certain media groups, alleging that it was an attempt to create issues between two countries.
The Sunday Times reported that during the event the Prime Minister erroneously thanked Taiwan, “China’s arch-enemy, for an incredibly generous donation” in the presence of the Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong.
“The opposition and certain media institutions aligned with them are trying to create the impression that our government’s international relations are weak. However, all such attempts have been consistently defeated,” she said.
Amarasuriya thanked the Chinese government and its ambassador for their understanding of the political motives behind the incident.
The Prime Minister said that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s state visit to India illustrates how successful the government has been in maintaining international relations. (Islandnews)
