Should we pretend to stay away from China?

           David Cameron’s Britain has not even a slightest hesitation or a shame to call Britain as China’s best friend in Europe, as Cameron received Xi Jinping in London for a state visit.

Credit:ft.com

It is only the pragmatic classic British politics at its best is playing in this challenging times.

But for our Sri Lankan politicians, it seems, China is only to be associated with if no other country paying attention to our relationship with China. It is really shame that this happens after so much China has done for our country in past years. 

Quite the opposite that we went haywire when Ranil Wickramasinghe visited Japan, an arch historical rival of China. There comes no sign from the Sri Lankan Government that it has any idea of contemporary international relations.

How come that when we even hesitate to show our due gratitude to China for what it has already done for our country - let alone to realise what we could do together in coming years and decades – while our former colonial master embraces China? If Cameron does not have any issue to call Britain is China’s best friend in Europe why shall our President Maithreepala Sirisena or any other Sri Lankan politicians have an issue? It only shows the mentality of developing nation.

It is the era that we want to the U.S. to say how well our economy is doing after the power shift. 

Welcoming attitude of Japan and India is part of New Great Game that the U.S. and China is playing whereas countries like Sri Lanka which happened to have some significant geographical importance in that game has to choose sides.

Shinzo Abe is a too cunning and pragmatic politician who is trying to eat butter from a sharp edged knife when it comes to his political manoeuvres with U.S. and its domestic policies he pursues. He is a determined character to push for a Japanese defensive army while he perfectly knows Japan stands no chance at all with China if that comes to that and the U.S. have left Japan for good. It is no secret that Obama administration has made the Asia-Pacific region as the U.S.’ pivotal security concern in coming decades.

Hence India, Japan and U.S. have teamed up for common course of curtailing China, new Great Game. We have no escape from this big boys’ play but to learn what this interconnected globalised world offers to countries like us in these modern times.

What we need in our politic is the continuation of policies which priorities are given to constant development of our country and people. This is a historic time that we have to be crystal clear about whom are our foes and whom our true friends are.

This uncanny pretension may risk our development.