In the latest of its presidential commission appointments, Sri Lanka's prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government would be appointing another to investigate reported attempts to create rifts within the Buddhist clergy.

"We will appoint a presidential commission to determine whether anyone tried to create divisions within the Malwatte Chapter," Mr Wickremesinghe was quoted by the Daily Mirror as saying whilst addressing a religious event at a Buddhist temple.

The Sri Lankan government has rejected a report by the Sunday Times that China had refused to convert debts into equity, accusing the paper of trying to disrupt the country's economic development.

Colombo Page quoted the Government Information Department as saying, "a Sunday Times report that said China has declined Sri Lanka's request to convert into equity Beijing-funded projects including the Mattala Airport and the Hambantota Port was not true."
 

China has declined Sri Lanka's request to convert into equity the loans funding projects including the Mattala airport and Hambantota port.

Chinese ambassador Yi Xianling has told the Sri Lankan prime minister that such a transfer wasn't possible within Chinese laws.

However Mr Xianling has said that his government is willing to cooperate with and support Sri Lanka in overcoming its financial issues.