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The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Sri Lanka.
The president of crisis-hit Sri Lanka has asked China to restructure its debt repayments as part of efforts to help the South Asian country navigate its worsening financial situation.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa made the request during a meeting with Wang Yi.
Over the last decade, China has lent over $5 billion to Sri Lanka for projects.
Critics say the money was used for unnecessary schemes.
The president pointed out that restructuring the debt repayments would be a solution to the economic crisis that has arisen in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic, according to his office.
The statement said that China was asked to provide concessional terms for its exports to Sri Lanka, which amounted to around $3.5 billion last year.
If Chinese tourists adhere to strict coronaviruses regulations, Mr. Rajapaksa would allow them to return to Sri Lanka.
China was the main source of tourists for Sri Lanka before the Pandemic hit.
The loss of tourist income during the Pandemic has made a severe debt and foreign exchange crisis worse in Sri Lanka.
The Asian Development Bank and Japan are the top international financial markets.
The island nation has received billions of dollars of soft loans from China but has been in a foreign exchange crisis which some analysts say has pushed it to the verge of default.
The country will have to repay about $4.5 billion in debt this year, starting with a $500m international bond.
The country's central bank has repeatedly assured investors that it will meet all of its debt repayments and that funds have already been allocated.
China's Belt and Road Initiative is a long-term plan to fund and build infrastructure linking China to the rest of the world.
The US has labelled the project a "debt trap" for smaller and poorer nations.
Beijing has always rejected the accusations and accused the West of tarnishing its image.
A Sri Lankan government minister said last month that the country would pay off a debt for past oil imports from Iran by drinking tea.
It will send $5 million worth of tea to Iran each month to clear the debt.
The rupee's fall caused a spike in food prices in Sri Lanka.
Authorities said they would take control of the supply of basic food items, including rice and sugar, and set prices in an attempt to control rising inflation.
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