Sri Lanka needs to officially recognise China as Sri Lanka’s Principle Strategic Partner in Indian Ocean

I argue Sri Lanka needs to officially recognise China as Sri Lanka’s Principle Strategic Partner in Indian Ocean. Since Sri Lanka’s relation with China is a very timely topic, I wanted to articulate on this novel idea.

Copied from :  Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 


Here in Sri Lanka Chinese investments and loans are seen as debt traps by some politicians. A part of the population too is fearing that.  Those who see China as an adversary in the West and beyond is also alleging China is exploiting developing nations like Sri Lanka. In that sense Hambantota Harbour and Colombo Port City project are perceived as pockets of Chinese influence and colonies. 

Recent visit of Defence Minister of China, We Fenghe, has also puzzled the international community about Sri Lanka’s relationship with China. 

Frist of all we have ask, ok, why not Sri Lanka form her principle strategic partnership with India in Indian Ocean. We are in Indian Ocean after all, right? And that has to make more sense. However, we have to realise we live in historic times and constant Indian interferences in sovereign issues of Sri Lanka bars Sri Lanka formalising such strategic relationship with India. Sri Lanka basically need a wedge to balance Indian political influence in Sri Lanka. 

What do I mean by historic times? That means, China is here to stay.

Our history books have only written about Indian kings and invaders. But in future, if we jump 1000 years, our history books will be talking about China too, hopefully not about kings and invaders. We never want Kings and invaders. In other words, ever expanding fleet of Chinese navy will not be absent in International waters, like that happened in 1433 with Zheng He’s fleet.

So, the point is that China is here to stay. The Naval presence of China will not only be felt in South China Sea, but with time, it will be felt across Pacific and Atlantic Oceans too. 

Ok, at this point we need to be clear about what prevents us formalising our Principle relations with India in Indian Ocean. By nature because of proximity and the size of Indian landmass, Sri Lankan gravitational force will always be linked to India.

However, throughout the history, we see, India was not quite there being a true friend to Sri Lanka and to Sri Lankan narratives. For an example, see how King Ravana is perceived as a demon and all evil. Hindu festival Dussehra burns Ravana effigies every year to celebrate victory of good over evil. And if we catapult ourself to today, the recent Indian abstention at UNHRC and Indian push to implement 13th amendment in Sri Lanka speaks volume for that direction. Even if India never want a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka but it always play with that idea favouring Tamil Nadu politicians.

Imagine the worst that could happen. Tamil Nadu one day could produce a Prime Minister for India. When that happens our sovereign integrity will be challenged badly. One could think that one day in future Indian militarily can challenge Chinese influence in Indian Waters. So what will happen to Sri Lanka, then? One has to understand that Indian economic and military capabilities are trapped in a big dilemma. Resource scarcity & its larger population back home and coziness of India being unique in chaos will always keep India in this peril.

One way or another, you cannot have a strategic partnership with one who tactically meddles in domestic affairs of yours and call you an evil and, at the same time, call you a good friend. We cannot have that. 

Ok then, why do I think China needs a Principle Strategic Partner Indian Ocean?

It is simple. It is because, for the forcible future, China cannot have such partnership with any maritime neighbours in South China Sea.  My reading of today’s situation is that China is strongly feeling isolated in South China Sea and beyond and therefore China is so eager to formalise her strategic Partnerships.

Since Obama's conceptualisation of Pivot to Asia, the US is working fiercely to maintain its unipolar world through a NATO like Indo & Pacific Oceans Treaty Agreement (IPOTA). The Quad [India, Australia, Japan and the US] and Five Eye [Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States] or whatever they are called they all are heading for that direction, Indo & Pacific Oceans Treaty Agreement.

Trump’s Trade war and Morrisons’ wine war have further intensified regional disputes and have further isolated China.

Then comes the long standing issue of Taiwan. Anyone who pays attention to that region knows that Chinese military is about to go for full extent to invade Taiwan soon. Hong-Kong’s independence and recent issues of Xinjiang and Uyghurs are also making China isolated. 

What triggered out to be the worst for China is that perceived violations of UNCLOS in South China Sea have antagonised all her maritime neighbours. That means from Japan in the East to Malacca Strait in the West, China has no true friend. It seems, understandably, China will not have a single true friend until guns are fired and new peace deal is bestowed upon them.

So, today’s China is in extremely lonely position, militarily and strategically speaking. China’s strong allies are not in Indian Ocean or in South China Sea. 

So, back to the point of mine, as in the past when Sri Lanka and China came together with Rubber Rice agreement, displaying true nature of our nations and people we can again be true partners in Indian Ocean. 

In concluding, with all those odds, Sri Lankan Government and Communist Party of China need to sit down together and explore this novel idea of Principle Strategic Partnership in Indian Ocean.

Meanwhile, as President Gotabaya officially requested to Mr. Yang Jiechi in last October, China needs to demonstrate that Hambantota Harbour and Colombo Port City Projects are not just debt traps.  An insignificant amount of monetary compromise to China could bring a world of wonders to Sri Lanka and its people. If the Community Party of China willing to deviate some of its maritime traffic in favour of Hambantota Harbour and guide some unhindered privet investments towards the initial stage of Port City, the Community Party of China and its people will most likely be wining the hearts and minds of advisories in Sri Lanka. 

That kind of precedent will set the Premier Xi Jinping’s One Road and One Belt initiative to the next level and beyond. 

To gain all this such Principle Partnership needs to respect sovereign integrity of Sri Lanka and military superiority of Sri Lankan forces, in peace times. With that the Government of Sri Lanka needs to make some allowances to Chinese Military establishments within the island.






Author - A.V. Anuradha Samapth
MA in International Security and Law from Denmark & BA Hon in International Politics from UK
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/amarasinghevidanage

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