September 17, 2012
Amid New Delhi’s concerns over growing military ties between Beijing and
Colombo, Sri Lanka’s envoy Prasad Kariyawasam has said there is no zero-sum
game between India and China. He said his country will not be reduced to a
stage for the two rising Asian powers to play out their “rivalry”.
“We are not in the habit of looking at our relations with India and
China as a zero-sum game,” the envoy told IANS in an interview.
“We will not allow our land or sea to be used for any inimical purpose
by one country against the other,” the envoy said.
Kariyawasam was responding to a question on the recent visit of Chinese
Defence Minister Gen. Liang Guanglie to India, which saw the two sides
declaring their resolve to enhance defence cooperation in different areas,
including non-traditional security.
The visit was preceded by a slew of announcements that included China
pledging $100 million for the construction of facilities in Sri Lanka army
camps to be set up in the the north and east, and around $600 million for phase
II of the Hambantota port project, envisaged as an international hub to
consolidate Sri Lanka’s status as a container trans-shipment centre in South
Asia.
The envoy rejected concerns raised by sections of the strategic
community in India about Colombo’s growing military and economic ties with
Beijing, especially after the end of the war with the rebel Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam. Security analysts were concerned that the heightened China-Sri
Lanka cooperation in military and commercial matters could be detrimental to
New Delhi’s interests in the island nation.
“Why should there be rivalry? We want to use the best commercial
opportunities that emanate from the growing economies of both India and China,”
the envoy said.
In anticipation of India’s concerns, Gen Liang had clarified during his
visit to Sri Lanka that China’s military ties with the island nation were not
targeted at any third country.
The envoy underlined that Sri Lanka was just trying to leverage new
opportunities thrown up by the rise of India and China and wanted to retain its
historic role as a hub of trade in the Indian Ocean region.
“Sri Lanka wants to be a hub of trade in the Indian Ocean, like we
always have been in history. The first country to benefit from this approach
will be India,” he said.
“India and China are today the most powerful and leading countries in
Asia. They have managed their relationship without much difficulty.
“Our expectation is that these powers will have the capacity to manage
their relations in such a way that the Indian Ocean will remain a zone of
peace, a region of peace. That’s how Sri Lanka views the Indian Ocean and our
relations with our close friend and neighbour India and our friend China.”
Underscoring the special relationship between India and Sri Lanka that
is rooted in history and culture, the envoy said that the fates of the two
neighbours were linked.
“If India is in trouble, we will be in trouble. If Sri Lanka is in
trouble, India will be in trouble,” he said, plainly.
The envoy’s assurances, however, will not calm apprehensive analysts in
India.
Chinese military participation in the Sri Lanka joint services exercise “Cormorant III,” which started Sep 10 and will go on till Sep 25 in Eastern Vakarai in the Eastern Province has only added to the concerns.
Chinese military participation in the Sri Lanka joint services exercise “Cormorant III,” which started Sep 10 and will go on till Sep 25 in Eastern Vakarai in the Eastern Province has only added to the concerns.
Troops from China, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Maldives are
participating in “Cormorant III,”. While Indian troops are not participating,
it is an exercise Indian observers will keenly watch. (IANS)
