Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is heading to India this weekend on his first foreign trip in office, seeking to rebuild ties hit by tensions over growing Chinese influence on the strategically located island.
Sirisena swept to power last month, ending a decade of rule by former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose close alliance with Beijing had sparked serious concerns in New Delhi.
China ploughed huge sums into Sri Lankan infrastructure projects, becoming the country’s biggest foreign financier and enjoying significant political and even military influence on the island under Rajapaksa.
India has long considered Sri Lanka to be within its strategic sphere of influence, sending troops to the nation in 1987 to enforce a New Delhi-brokered peace accord between Colombo and separatist Tamil rebels.
New Delhi was reported to have been furious at the brief appearance last year of two Chinese submarines in Sri Lankan waters.
Sri Lankan officials said Sirisena, whose administration last week reversed approval for a controversial US$1.4 billion Chinese project, would aim to allay Indian fears when he meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow.
“Our relations with India had nosedived,” Sri Lankan Minister of Plantation Industries Lakshman Kiriella said. “We want to have a new beginning with India. If we have any relations with China, they will not be to the detriment of India.”
Beijing has been accused of seeking to develop facilities around the Indian Ocean in a “string of pearls” strategy to counter the rise of its rival India and secure its own economic interests.
Sirisena is also expected to try to secure greater Indian investment in Sri Lanka, which said this week it was seeking an international bail-out of more than US$4 billion.
The new government has accused Rajapaksa’s administration of understating the country’s debts and is also seeking to restructure expensive Chinese loans.
China provided US$141.9 million in loans to Sri Lanka in the first four months of last year making it the island’s largest financier. India loaned US$53.7 million.
Beijing has made clear it wants the relationship to continue and Sirisena, who has said he wants to maintain a “middle path” in foreign relations, is due to travel there next month.
Shortly after Sirisena took office, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it hoped the new administration would “carry on the friendly policies towards China and lend their support to relevant projects.”
China has already funded two ports and an airport, including a US$500 million mega-container terminal which is the largest in South Asia.
Sri Lanka is a midway point on one of the world’s busiest international shipping lanes, which Beijing wants to secure as a maritime silk road for the 21st century.
Sirisena has launched a review of all Chinese projects commissioned under the previous regime.
His government initially approved a controversial US$1.4 billion Chinese port-related project, but reversed that decision after objections from other parties.
Indian diplomats have privately raised concerns about the venture, as it gives China ownership of one-third of a total 233 hectares of reclaimed land.
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