Sri Lanka-China relations

China’s Sinopec has agreed to set up an oil refinery with an investment of $3.7 billion in Hambantota.

Promises made to India by President Anura Dissanayake in December 2024 must be matched with action.

Pressure from India and the U.S. on the docking of Chinese research vessels at its ports appears to have prompted Sri Lanka to impose a one-year moratorium on visits by foreign research vessels.

To project itself as a more benevolent power, it is providing dry rations to Sri Lankans.

The 25-year contract with the petroleum giant is expected to ease the fuel shortage in the country.

Several Chinese delegations have traveled to Sri Lanka in recent months and Chinese investments could spike, prompting alarmist reporting in the Indian media.

Its charge d’affaires in Colombo raced to Kandy to warn a top Buddhist monk of damage to bilateral relations if the Tibetan leader visited the island.

Irked over Canada allowing a referendum on Khalistan to take place, India hit back with a travel advisory cautioning against increasing hate crimes in Canada.

It has repeatedly scrapped deals and flip-flopped on decisions with an array of partners, including India, Japan, China and Russia.

Sri Lanka’s refusal to codify trade relations with India speaks to a consistent policy of strategic ambiguity.

In addition to foreign debt obligations exceeding $7 billion, Sri Lanka’s foreign reserves are down to $1.6 billion, barely enough for a few weeks of imports.

By embracing some countries and excluding others, the US has squandered an opportunity to unite South Asia – at least ideologically – against Beijing.