China will provide Sri Lanka with 100 luxury electric buses, a move framed as both an environmental intervention and a gesture of continued bilateral cooperation, according to Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong. Each bus is valued at US$225,000, placing the total contribution at approximately US$22.5 million, and the fleet is intended to reduce pollution linked to fuel consumption while modernising public transport in key urban centres.
The announcement was made during the ambassador’s visit to Kandy, where he met the two most senior Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka, the Mahanayakes of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters. These religious leaders hold significant moral and cultural influence in the country, and diplomatic engagements with them are often viewed as symbolic gestures of respect and goodwill. Ambassador Qi met the Chief Prelate of the Malwathu Chapter, Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Maha Thero, and the Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Maha Thero, and received their blessings during the visit.
Speaking to the Chief Prelates, the ambassador said the electric buses would be deployed in Kandy, Galle and Colombo, three cities that combine dense populations, tourism activity and mounting transport-related emissions. He described the initiative as part of China’s broader effort to promote electric vehicle usage in Sri Lanka, noting that electric transport has become mainstream in China and is central to its own environmental strategy.
Beyond transport, the ambassador underscored China’s continued economic support for Sri Lanka, particularly following the impact of Cyclone Ditva, which caused widespread damage to infrastructure in several central and hill-country districts. He said China has been working closely with the current Sri Lankan government in what he described as an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual understanding, adding that Beijing consistently steps in when Sri Lanka faces natural disasters.
He detailed Chinese involvement in the assessment and rehabilitation of damaged bridges and highways in Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Badulla districts, explaining that six Chinese technical experts were dispatched to Sri Lanka to study the damage and support restoration efforts. According to the findings so far, many of the affected roads and bridges have already been renovated or are currently undergoing repairs, with ongoing inspections continuing across the country.
The ambassador said China is backing these infrastructure projects using modern construction technologies, pointing to China’s global reputation for large-scale highway and bridge development. Taken together, the electric bus donation and infrastructure support signal a blend of environmental policy, disaster response and strategic diplomacy, as China positions itself as a long-term development partner to Sri Lanka at a time when the island nation is seeking economic stability and sustainable growth.
