COLOMBO, Dec. 30 -- Sri Lanka has requested technical and financial assistance from China to repair railway tracks and bridges damaged by Cyclone Ditwah.

The request was made during a meeting between Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, which also noted that Herath briefed the Chinese envoy on the extensive damage caused to the country's transport infrastructure by the late-November cyclone, with particular emphasis on the railway network.

Ambassador Qi Zhenhong assured Herath that the request would be conveyed to the Chinese government without delay and said China would assess the scope of damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah to determine how best it could...