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Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has told the military to do "whatever is necessary to restore order" after protesters stormed his office on Wednesday, BBC reported.

Mr Wickremesinghe has been appointed acting president by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled the country.

But the decision to leave him in charge triggered further protests demanding that the prime minister must also go.

Sri Lanka has been suffering from its worst economic crisis in decades.

Many blame the Rajapaksa administration for the crisis and see Mr Wickremesinghe, who became prime minister in May, as part of the problem.

On Wednesday, for the second time in less than a week, protesters broke into a highly secure state building. This time it was the prime minister's office.

Echoing earlier scenes over the weekend of the occupied president's official residence, people in the prime minister's office lounged on plush sofas snapping photos, while others stood on chairs and desks waving the Sri Lankan flag.

In a television address, Mr Wickremesinghe called on protesters to leave his occupied office and other state buildings and co-operate with authorities.

"We can't tear up our constitution. We can't allow fascists to take over. We must end this fascist threat to democracy," he said.

But asked whether the prime minister's statement was an indication that the army might take control, a human rights lawyer in Colombo, Bhavani Fonseka, told the BBC's World at One that Sri Lanka "doesn't have a history where military has played an active role in politics or government - unlike some of the other countries in the neighbourhood".

"We have had a very robust democracy and it's been elected representatives in that role. But we are also in an unprecedented situation, so anything is possible," she added, according to BBC.

Outside the president's office, the BBC's Tessa Wong said armed soldiers stood by impassively watching the protesters celebrate inside the office.

And demonstrators ignored the prime minister's calls for the office to be emptied.

"Our goal is for Gota to go home. And Ranil and other cabinet members to go home," one protester at the prime minister's office, Nixon Chandranathan, told the BBC. "We need truthful and honest leaders to build up Sri Lanka now."

"We feel proud," Satish Bee, a businessman who came to explore the compound after it was stormed told AFP. "There's no proper governance in this country. It has never been good... The youngsters, they don't want to continue like this."

The continued unrest came as the news arrived that President Rajapaksa had fled to the Maldives.

The president went into hiding and pledged to resign after his official residence was stormed on Saturday.

The leader, who has enjoyed immunity from prosecution as president, is believed to have wanted to flee abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of arrest by the new administration, BBC reported.

He is, however, yet to submit a formal letter of resignation.

The patchy history of collaboration with the Nepal Communist Party (NCP, 2018-2021) seems to have taught the Chinese a lesson or two in how to navigate Nepal’s complex and often unpredictable political landscape. In this period, the world’s emerging superpower worked closely with the now dismantled NCP jointly-led by KP Sharma Oli of the CPN-UML and Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the CPN (Maoist Center). All the while, the northern neighbor kept a safe distance from the Nepali Congress, traditionally a party of liberal views and considered close to India and the West. 

But China now seems intent on making a correction on its Nepal policy—and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is taking the lead in this. 

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CCP Central Committee, recently wrapped up his four-day visit to Nepal. During his Kathmandu stay, he expressed China’s desire to mend fences with the Congress party.   

China no longer believes in keeping out of the internal affairs of other countries. In a clear hint of departure from its long-standing policy, Beijing actively courted Nepal’s communist parties, particularly after 2018. A similar trend was seen in other small South Asian countries. 

During his Kathmandu sojourn, Jianchao’s focus was on improving ties with the NC. He even went to the extent of visiting the BP Koirala Memorial Planetarium in Sundarijal and recalled the late NC leader’s role in enhancing Nepal-China relations back in the 1960s.  

Former Nepal’s ambassador to China Rajeshwar Acharya says the message is meaningful for Nepal’s political parties, particularly the Congress.

Over the first five years, the Chinese have realized that lack of communication with Congress has led to a misreading of its intent. 

China is keen on strengthening ties with the Nepali Congress. The Deuba-led government has reciprocated the gesture too, says foreign affairs expert Geja Sharma Wagle.  

Jianchao also tried to give the impression that Beijing treats all parties equally during a dinner with some Congress leaders. Meanwhile, the Congress leaders conveyed to him that favoring certain political parties in Nepal would be counterproductive for China. 

In response, the Chinese leader said that China gives equal importance to all political parties of Nepal. The senior CPC leader also conveyed to the NC his willingness to build party-to-party relations. 

In a separate meeting with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Jianchao categorically stated that China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with the Congress, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, and deepen exchanges and mutual learning on issues related to each other’s core interests and concerns. 

As Beijing is set to reset ties with Nepal, some exchanges of visits are in the cards. Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka is likely to visit China soon, while some senior NC leaders could also land in  Beijing in the near future.  

Earlier, in March, a month after Nepal’s parliamentary endorsement of US $500m assistance under Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had come to Nepal. His visit was focused on growing American influence in Kathmandu and regional issues. 

“The NC could emerge as a dominant political force after the upcoming parliamentary elections,” says Chandra Lal Giri, a researcher on Nepal-China relations at Research Center for Nepal and Asian Studies. “China is thus keen to revive cordial ties with the party.”  

“The Congress is a permanent democratic force in Nepal, but China slowed down its engagement with the party after it was relegated to the opposition bench in 2018,” he says. 

This created a perception inside the NC that China was ignoring them. China is trying to clear this misunderstanding.

The relationship between the NC and China soured due to the latter’s exclusive engagement with Nepali’s communist parties. Reports about border disputes in Humla district following the formation of Congress-led government did not help. 

Beijing started seeing the Deuba government as pro-Western and continued to ignore the ruling democratic party. China’s policy of engaging exclusively with the communist parties of Nepal invited criticisms even from within the Chinese Communist Party.

But China enhancing its ties with the NC does not mean it now gives less importance to the agenda of left unity in Nepal. 

China still wants to see communist parties of Nepal back in power, and to see them unite—but not at the cost of upsetting the NC. 

In his private meetings with top communist leaders, sources say, Jianchao pushed for left unity. The Chinese leader had held one-on-one with Oli and Dahal following delegation-level meetings with Nepali leaders and officials. 

He spent more than six hours with Oli and enquired about the possibility of unity or electoral alliance among left parties. If not party unity, China wants to see a coalition government of left parties in power. 

Oli reportedly told Jianchao that the split in the NCP had nothing to do with him and that he has never opposed unification. He, however, added that he did not see left unity happening anytime soon.

Acharya, the former Nepali ambassador, says it is obvious that the visit’s main goal was to push for left unity. 

This was also made clear by Chairman of Nepal Communist Party (Unified Socialist) Madhav Kumar Nepal, who told reporters that Jianchao stressed on unification among communist parties. 

“The Chinese seek friendly and credible partners in Nepal and they feel more comfortable working with left parties,” Acharya said. 

“China’s preference is a left-party led government in order to check growing American influence in its backyard,” says Giri, the researcher. “But the task of maintaining a balanced relationship with the NC and communist parties of Nepal is not an easy one. If China continues to push for left unity, the Congress will naturally continue to be suspicious.”

In his meetings with the Nepali leaders, Jianchao suggested maintaining unity among all political forces to preserve sovereignty and nationalism, a veiled reference to America’s growing influence in Nepal. 

According to Acharya, even minor visits and activities of Americans in Kathmandu alarms Beijing these days. 

China believes that the passage of the MCC compact could herald an era of greater American influence in Kathmandu.

During his Kathmandu visit, Jianchao also appreciated Nepal’s decision to refuse America’s State Partnership Program (SPP) through political consensus. 

According to a Maoist leader, the Chinese leader’s message was that all parties should come together to “resist American pressure” in Kathmandu. 

As always, China also raised the issue of security, only this time more seriously. Beijing fears that with the American influence in Kathmandu steadily on the rise, pro-Dalai Lama activities could increase. 

On China's flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Jianchao requested the Nepali side to come up with a clear vision and plan based on political consensus. 

Prime Minister Deuba reiterated his position that the country was in no position to accept loans to finance its development projects. 

The Chinese side is also pressing Nepal to implement the agreements signed between the two countries during President Xi Jinping’s 2019 Nepal visit. 

Sri Lanka's political and economic crisis escalated as protesters stormed the prime minister's office on Wednesday, demanding the country's leaders step down after President Gotabaya Rajapaksafled to the Maldives without resigning, CNN reported.

Rajapaksa had been expected to formally resign Wednesday but instead left the crisis-hit nation and appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as its acting leader, citing a section of the constitution that allows a prime minister to "discharge the powers, duties and functions of the office of president" when the president is ill or "absent" from Sri Lanka. 

Wickremesinghe was also due to formally resign "to make way for an all-party government."

The move further enraged protesters, who want both leaders to vacate their roles as the country's 22 million people struggle to buy basic goods, fuel and medicine.

Hundreds of demonstrators breached the compound of the prime minister's office in Sri Lanka's largest city Colombo on Wednesday and entered the premises, according to footage from the scene and local witnesses. 

The grounds have now been taken over by protesters who are gathering in celebration, following a standoff with armed police at the gates of the property.

People could be seen on the balcony of the property, lighting firecrackers and waving the Sri Lankan flag, according to witnesses.

Demonstrators outside demanded that neither the President nor the Prime Minister "be spared."

This follows months of escalating anger over the economic crisis, with Rajapaksa accused of high-level corruption and mismanagement that ultimately bankrupted the country.

As demonstrators took to the streets, acting President Wickremesinghe appointed a committee of senior armed forces commanders headed by the Chief of Defense Staff Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva to "restore law and order" in the nation, a high-ranking military official told CNN Wednesday, according to CNN.

Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency across Sri Lanka and a curfew on Wednesday only to later cancel both orders, according to the prime minister's office. 

In Colombo, a handful of protesters also entered the premises of state broadcaster Sri Lanka Rupavahini on Wednesday, negotiating a "deal" with broadcast staff to not give airtime to politicians such as Wickremesinghe.

At the prime minister's office, demonstrators waving the Sri Lankan flag thronged the building and celebrated on the balcony of the property after a standoff with the police, according to eyewitnesses and footage from the scene, CNN reported.

Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Sher Bahadur Kunwar has pressed an idea of recognizing the contribution of workers along with security of employers.

In his address to a programme organised by the Kailali Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, he said the government has the policy of acknowledging the role of workers and respecting employers.

Provisions are in place since a few days ago to pay medical expenditures of labourers through an online system.

Now workers can enjoy the government subsidy for general treatment in 26 health facilities and of them, 18 have already connected to the online system. As he said, workers have to bear 20 percent and remaining 80 percent will be borne by the Social Security Fund for the treatment. Such facility will be available at hospitals across the country in the future. "In case of accidental cases, we are talking about the hundred percent contributions from the Fund."

He added cultural activists and media persons will also be incorporated in the Fund.