China promises to help Sri Lanka become a shipping hub
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday his country will align its maritime silk road project with Sri Lanka’s development plans to enable the island nation to become a shipping hub in the Indian Ocean.
Wang’s comments came after meeting Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, starting a two-day visit. It is a sign of Sri Lanka’s new government’s increasing receptiveness to Chinese projects having previously suspended some to investigate corruption and possible environmental hazards.
“We’ll take the building of the maritime silk road as a priority to better align our development strategy including your five-year development plan so that we can come up with a comprehensive blue print for future cooperation, so that we can help Sri Lanka build itself into a shipping center in the Indian Ocean,” Wang said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping won support for the silk road project from Sri Lanka’s former pro-China leader Mahinda Rajapaksa during a visit in 2013.
The silk road is seen as a way of encircling India and controlling port access along sea lanes linking the energy-rich Persian Gulf and economic centers in eastern China.
Wang said however that China’s relations with Sri Lanka does not target any other nation.
“There is a consensus between China and Sri Lanka that our cooperation does not target any third country nor will it affect our respective relations with other countries. We stand ready to work more closely with other regional countries for the purpose of achieving common development.”
Sri Lanka earlier this year allowed a $1.5 billion China-funded port city project to resume a year after it was suspended to study effects to the environment. The city is to be built on reclaimed land off Sri Lanka’s west coast and include a golf course, marinas, apartments, hotels and malls.
The project created disquiet in neighboring India over the possibility China might be allowed outright land ownership.
The two ministers also discussed the South China Sea dispute over which an international tribunal is soon expected to rule. China which claims most part of the sea is boycotting the case filed by the Philippines challenging it.
Wang said Sri Lanka expressed “understanding” of China’s position while Samaraweera said that he called for constructive dialogue to resolve the dispute and ensure peace and stability in the region.
(Source: AP)
Latest Headlines in Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka turns to Indian and Russian companies to manage Chinese-funded Airport April 26, 2024
- Sri Lanka’s state revenue surges to record Rs. 834 Billion in first quarter 2024 April 26, 2024
- Army soldier killed, 9 injured in Mankulam cab-lorry collision April 26, 2024
- Electricity trade unions to take legal action against Sri Lanka Electricity Bill April 26, 2024
- Gotabaya Rajapaksa refutes Cardinal Ranjith’s allegations on Easter Sunday Attacks April 25, 2024
Wang said however that China’s relations with Sri Lanka does not target any other nation.
This means that the only way forward is to forsake all global projects. The Chinese are concious of the fact that the Mangala has no authority to negotiate with either the Chinese or anyone else to negotiate on behalf of the government. Most of his statement is given out of context and most likely he is clueles as to who he is negotiating with
Sri Lanka has little influence on Indo Chinese policies and they understand each other and any aggressive policy would be disastrous to both but the Chinese have the edge over the Indians. Propaganda ssays otherwise but the fact remains.
Under these circumstances mangla can only be passive observer like most sri lankans are clever at doing and since mangala declarations when it o through the translation process wi destined inevitably to garbage.
at this stage there is only one sensible ting to do that is to to rein Mangala in like a horse that is about to bolt. He should not be allowed to go abroad
lo ng life to yahapanaya