China warned the United States not to coerce and bully Sri Lanka as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Dhaka on a sensitive visit.

Iran PressAsia: Pompeo is expected to ask Colombo to make difficult choices on its relationship with China, which has provided key investment and diplomatic backing in recent years.

"We are firmly opposed to the United States taking the opportunity of the State Secretary's visit to sow and interfere in China-Sri Lanka relations and to coerce and bully Sri Lanka," China's embassy in Dhaka said in a statement.

Pompeo arrived from India where he stepped up anti-Chinese comments which are expected to be a theme of an Asian tour that will take him on to the Maldives and Indonesia.

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