Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India, Sri Lanka and China' that was published in Newsband

India, Sri Lanka and China

Sri Lanka’s earlier tilted towards China but now it is become aware that India can be a better friend than China. New Delhi has signed up with Sri Lanka for a number of projects and investments to help the country grow itself out of its debt problems.

Sri Lanka has emerged as a point of contention between India and China. Initially Sri Lanka sought to play a China card to fend off Indian pressure over a political settlement with the country’s Tamil minority. In the process the country accepted billions from Beijing as a kind of debt. These policies led India to take countermeasures.

Under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka came to see China as a solution to all its problems. But things changed when Maithripala Sirisena came to power. Beijing’s extortionist interest rates and its attempts to convert the debt into land holdings made Sri Lanka alert aware of China’s intention.  

Sri Lanka’s problems caused by accepting loan from China has become so acute that they have raised alarm bells in other countries who have signed up to China’s Belt Road Initiative.

India has agreed to help Sri Lanka out. Many more visits and considerable attention will be required by India to bring true serendipity to the bilateral relationship.

Sri Lanka has backed India’s concern over the Kashmir issue, saying it is difficult for New Delhi to accept the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it goes through the “heart of Indian interests”.

India, China and Sri Lanka were very much part of the ancient Silk Road route as the Chinese Buddhist scholars like Faxian visited both India and Sri Lanka leading to big discoveries of Buddhist relics in the island nation.

Sri Lanka is clever enough not to permit any foreign military operations in its port by any country including China, and cares for India’s security concerns over Chinese military activity. Chinese requests for docking of its submarines was declined.

Lanka’s position is such that their harbours and ports are for commercial operations. All other countries have no strategic interests. Sri Lanka is equidistant from everyone.

Sri Lanka is taking assistance from the Indian Navy to maintain maritime security including tracking submarines. India is also providing patrol boats. But Sri Lanka is facing a problem of debt repayment. Sri Lanka has an estimated debt of USD eight billion to China. The loans were taken for different mega projects. Sri Lanka is paying the price for reposing its trust on China.